The Agents in Europe
by Harmony Valenka Smith
Summary: Penelope and Perry are back! They are chasing down the Enigma in Europe and trying to stop him from taking over, all before the new year! This is the sequel to The Agents from Down Under. It is rated T for blood, mild violence, and some intense scenes.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, but I've just been busy lately, playing with the stuff I got for Christmas and getting ready to go back to school and all. I also went back through the last book and fixed up some errors, so it's better now. I do not own Phineas and Ferb, all rights to products go to their respective owners. Here is the long-awaited sequel to The Agents from Down Under, The Agents in Europe. I hope you guys enjoy :D**

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><p><span>Prologue<span>

Oars moved in the waters at a steady pace. It wasn't easy to move with the ice on the water. It was December 12th, four months after Penelope had called off the hunt for the Enigma. The Enigma, the Silver Viper, and a few other choice animal agents in OMEGA were in the boat. They had secretly been moving in the waters much faster than ALPHA had anticipated. They were rowing for the shores of Ireland, the large sailboat (with secret rotors underneath that got them there faster than ALPHA would have predicted) was in the distance.

The Enigma took a deep breath of the cold winter air. "Ireland, a little island part of Great Britain. If we get Britain, the rest of Europe will follow soon after. How soon can my creation be released?" he asked, turning away from looking at the distance to looking at the Silver Viper.

"Most probably not soon enough, your creation is still suffering from the pain of its body," said the Silver Viper.

"Pain is for women! My creation will move soon enough," said the Enigma, turning back to the distance.

"Sir, your creation prefers to stay in its home."

"Does it _now?_ Does it not remember who created it? Who put everything he _had_ into it? _What_ is the _hold-up_? _What_ is the _question_?"

"It refuses to move until it is given proper incentive."

"_I_ will give it proper incentive. I want my army moving ahead. I want all of Britain to be mine by sunset. Do you all understand me?" He turned around and put his hands behind his back.

"Sir, yes, sir!" they replied.

"I didn't hear you. Are we going to _take_ Britain _by_ sunset?" asked the Enigma, louder.

"_Sir, yes, sir!_" they replied louder.

"_Then do it!_ I will move ahead and see if I can give my creation the incentive to _move_. I am not a _timid_ scientist, I expect _results_. Silver Viper, meet me in Madrid, Spain, in two days. I should have everything in place by then. _Do you understand me?_"

"_Sir, yes, sir!_" she replied.

"Very well, then... oh, by the way, on the very small chance that we _do_ fail, I will personally give you all tickets to the Cavern of Eternal Suffering below. _Do you all understand me?_"

"_Sir, yes, sir!_" they replied. They began rowing faster and soon hit shore. The Enigma remained in the boat. He had another island in mind to sail toward. Once his creation was in the proper mood, there would be nothing to get in its way. The Enigma laughed to himself as he rowed back to the ship. If he didn't own the world by the end of the year, it would certainly be a cold day in the Cavern of Eternal Suffering in his mind.

Meanwhile, back in America, Protocol P-1 was lifted. The O.W.C.A. heads still had not been found, but since the Enigma had been away for so long and the holidays were coming soon, everyone deserved at least a semblance of normalcy. Rosalynn and Max, Penelope and Perry's children, had turned four months old. They ran around the Flynn-Fletcher house, playing. Penelope was snuggling with Perry in a chair beside the couch. On the couch, the Flynn-Fletcher family was enjoying their first day back together.

"It's so good to have everything back to normal," said Lawrence, the dad.

"Well, almost normal. Perry, Penelope, Rosalynn, and Max are far from normal," said Candace. Rosalynn and Max had made their fifth lap into the living room and Max tripped on the carpet and Rosalynn, being so close to him, fell behind him.

Penelope giggled. She had on her translator, so her words came out in English. "You didn't notice the carpet there did you?" she asked, sarcastically. She picked up Max and he chattered and shook his head. "It came right out of nowhere, didn't it?" Max chattered and nodded. She threw him into the air and caught him. Max chattered happily. Penelope got on the floor and tickled Rosalynn in the ribs. Rosalynn squirmed and chattered, laughing. She then began tickling Max as well. Perry joined his family on the floor, but Penelope hadn't noticed him, she was too caught up in tickling her two little ones. Perry edged closer and was soon right behind Penelope. He then put his fingers right into Penelope's ribs. Penelope fell, surprised, and began giggling and squirming. "Perry, stop! You know I'm the most ticklish in my ribs!"

"That's what makes it fun," said Perry, his voice coming out in English because of a translator that Penelope had given to him as an early Christmas present.

"_Perry_," she said, knowing she had lost the battle. To make matters worse, her own children had joined Perry in tickling her. The Flynn-Fletchers watched, amused at the cute family moment the platypuses were having.

"Give in! You will give in!" said Perry.

Penelope stopped squirming and laughing and looked at him with a shocked expression. Perry stopped tickling her and they both sat there on the floor. The little ones sat as well, they weren't very old, but they knew when something was wrong. "What did you say, Perry?"

"I said, 'Give in! You will give in!' " he said it in a skittish tone, worried of the implications on his wife's mind that would come from this one statement.

Penelope grabbed her head, a headache was coming, which meant a vision was going to happen. She left the room quickly, running into walls now and then on her way to the bathroom. _Of all days to have a vision, today had to be one of those days_, Penelope thought.

Ever since Peter the Panda had injected her with the Yin-Yang serum at her birthday party, her good side and her bad side had become separated and she had gained a higher sense of awareness. This higher sense of awareness gave her the ability to go through all the possibilities in a problem... and to see the future. Usually, she would have these visions in her sleep, but when she was awake, she always headed for the bathroom and got in the tub, which was where she was now.

Penelope curled into a ball, she just wanted it to come and not cause her pain anymore. Then, the brunt of the attack came. Her body lurched and her eyes turned white and glowed in a bright hue. She screamed in pain and shook violently. Perry had since come into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He had to wait out another attack. He came close, but he didn't come too close. The last time he had tried to hold her down during an attack, he received a black eye. So, favoring his eyesight, he waited at the edge of the tub. He could do nothing but watch.

"Glowing white means a future vision, but if her eyes turn black during the attack, it means someone will die," Perry muttered to himself. As he said this, her eyes _did_ turn black, black as deep space. She got on her back and began gagging, her mouth filling with blood. She gave one final lurch, her back arching, before she relaxed onto her back. Her eyes closed. The attack was over. "Pen? Penelope? Are you all right?" Penelope lay still for a few moments before opening her eyes, the black from her vision shrinking into her pupils. She took a deep breath and gagged.

"I bled this time... Oh, Perry," she hugged him from over the tub. She began crying softly.

Perry did what he always did after she had an attack, he held her and swayed back and forth, all the while telling her, "It's going to be all right, Penelope. It's over now."

"No, it's just beginning. The Enigma's forces have landed in Ireland and they will have Great Britain by sunset today. I also saw... the creature. That horrible, revolting, sad creature... with eyes of flame... and sadness."

"Is that all you saw? Who dies, Penelope?"

"Perry..." she couldn't bring herself to say it, but she knew she had to. "...You do."

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><p><strong>Welcome back, guys. I hope you liked this intro. In case it wasn't obvious, when the Enigma said "Cavern of Eternal Suffering," he meant hell. So, do you guys have any theories about what the Enigma's creature is? Let me know! Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks, guys :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 1: Hiding in Portugal

Chapter 1: Hiding in Portugal

Penelope was adamant that they couldn't do anything that day, but they could on the next day. December 13th, she left her children with the Flynn-Fletcher family and took Perry to ALPHA headquarters. They got in a ship and took off.

"So, do you have any idea where we're headed?" asked Perry.

"My plan is to ambush him in Madrid, Spain," said Penelope simply, while driving.

"You plan to ambush him while he has an army that is big enough that it was able to take over Britain in a day?"

"His army is holding the British back, they're still attacking. _Those bloody murderers_."

"Penelope, you haven't talked about your vision with me hardly at all... what aren't you telling me?"

She hesitated. "I told you everything. The Enigma takes over Europe, the creature runs after me in this giant mirrored maze, you come to save me, but you die trying."

"You're lying to me about something."

"Lying? Why would I lie?" she laughed nervously. "Now, look, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Every time we do, I see that monster again and I would rather not, okay?"

"All right, I'll drop it... why didn't we bring Phillip with us?"

"I don't exactly have a way to make the device portable. It would be a waste of time and it would be in vain if the Enigma kills him."

"...Wouldn't that be the same as killing himself?"

"I don't really know. I never looked into that part in the science... Here we are!" She landed the ship. "We'll stay here until dawn. Then, we will make our way to Madrid and corner the Enigma. It should only be him and the Silver Viper. If there are any more soldiers, I'd be surprised." She went to a cupboard in the ship. "Why don't we both write journals. It would be nice to remember this adventure of ours." She took out some equipment and set up a video camera for the purpose of a video diary. She also set out two small notebooks for written recordings that she wouldn't want to be said out loud. "All right, let's get started!"

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><p><span>Penelope<span>

_I hate lying to him. This is the second time I have lied to him. The first time was about what I did with Phillip, but most of that lie I thought to be truth because of memory loss. This time... I don't want to talk about it. After all this time, I finally have to choose. I finally have to do that which I cannot._

_We are in a desert in Portugal. Spain is right next door, and I have put a cloaking mechanism in the ship, so we shouldn't be detected. I am scared to face the monster. There is nothing I nor Perry can do to stop future events from happening. I wish I never concocted the Yin-Yang serum. It was the worst mistake of my life. I am suffering and I made my little brother suffer, to the point of desperation. The only thing keeping me alive, the only thing that is more tantalizing than escaping this insanity, is my family. Perry, Rosalynn, and Max are keeping me alive. Their faces, their constant hope for a better tomorrow... it's a refreshing thing. They are the first people to make me feel peace in five and a half years._

_I can't write anymore... if my thoughts remain trapped in my head and in my hand, I will start to become emotional. I may write more later... but not now._

I closed the journal and picked up the video camera. I turned it on and set everything up. It's recording. "Well, I think it is safe to say that things are better than last time... but they are also worse." I talked to the camera. Sometimes admitting what I was thinking was easier to do than write my faults. "I have a family, I have a hope for tomorrow. It is a sweet thing, to know that you have another day ahead of you. A day where there will be no more loneliness, no more fear. This... Yin-Yang serum... it has driven me to near insanity. I am finding it harder to control my evil counterpart, Epolenep, everyday. I have pondered... I have pondered committing suicide. I thought about it only to free my mind. I will say it again though, it is my family, and my family alone, that is keeping me alive. They are the only thing I have to live for."

I paused before continuing. "I will also take this time to revise my will. I, Penelope Rose Australis-Flynn, being of sound mind and body do make my last will and testament. In the event of my death, I bequeath everything I own to my husband, Perry Bartholomew Flynn. Should he die with me, then I bequeath everything I own to my children, Rosalynn Marie Flynn and Maxwell Austin Flynn. My property is to be divided between them equally. My brother Phillip is to be re-joined to the Enigma and made the new head of ALPHA. There is no one I trust more for the job. I don't know what Perry has in mind for a will, but if he has anything in mind that is contrary to my ideas, then his will should take precedence in all areas except one. Instead of being buried, I request to be placed inside of a glass coffin and my body preserved for a period of one year. After that, I can be cremated in the same way my ancestors were cremated." I gagged at this, the guilt nagging at me that I never cremated _my_ parents nor _Perry's_ parents. I had buried their bodies in a sloppy manner, something that made me feel guilty to this day. "I think that's it, everything else should be the same, with all the legal blah-blah-blah." I turned off the camera and went back to the cockpit.

"Hey, Perry," I greeted him.

"Hey, my turn now?" he asked.

"If you want to," I replied. He nodded and left. I took this time to get in one of the bunks in the ship and I curled up and tried to take a nap.

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><p><span>Perry<span>

I didn't really want to write anything down or do a video journal, but I figured that it _would_ be a good way of remembering this time with her. My memory was really good, but I had to take into account that it might not _always_ be this good. I'm six years old, but I feel so much older some days. Some of it has to do with my job and the stress of it all. Some of it has to do with the stress of running a family. Some of it is just pain.

I took out the video camera. I took a breath. _I don't really know if I want to do this... what if I really die? What if there is no point in making a memoir for myself when myself will no longer exist?_ I shook that thought away. _This will get easier the more I do it, just like with everything I put my hands to,_ I thought to myself. "Well, I don't really know what to say. Um... the Enigma has taken over Britain and Penelope hopes to catch him before he takes Spain as well. We're in Portugal right now, just waiting him out, I guess." I scratched my head. "In case Penelope is right, and I do die, I want to say some things. I want a small funeral, with only my family there, but I will be cremated, as well as other things that follow with my Australian roots. Penelope will have everything better defined than I, so look to her for that. To my human family, thank you for everything you've done for me over the years and taking me in. To my human boys, keep dreaming, don't let anyone stop you, because you've got a talent that is unlike anyone else. To my children, should your mother make it, listen to her and take care of her, if she doesn't make it, please be strong. Choose the right things and remember everything we taught you, and know that your mother and I love you very much and we are very proud of you. To my boss, please make sure my family is well taken care of and that all their needs are met. To my nemesis, it has been an honor being your nemesis, and now that I have passed on,_ you_ need to move on. I don't have very much to leave, so far as property goes... but if I die, I leave my fedora to my wife. If she is not able to receive it, I ask that it be enclosed in a glass case so that I may be remembered... that my_ family_ will be remembered. That's it."

I was going to turn the camera off when I heard a sound overhead. "What the...?" I asked aloud. I turned off the camera and headed to the cockpit. Penelope was fiddling with the controls and I found that the ship was sinking into the ground and covering itself in a manner similar to a flounder on the ocean floor. She hushed me and I listened as the noise went on overhead. It sounded like planes.

"It would seem that the Enigma is in Portugal," she said, looking at her screen. Portugal was blue, like the rest of the countries (except Great Britain, which was all in red). In a matter of seconds though, the blue light on Portugal changed to red. "And now he owns Portugal." She ran her fingers through the fur on the top of her head and sighed deeply.

All of a sudden, her eyes blinked a glowing white color, but it was soon gone when she lurched back. She was breathing heavily, recovering from the minor attack and she swore under her breath. She then ran to the cargo hold of the small ship. "Pen? Honey, what did you see?" I asked, once I caught up to her. She didn't answer, instead, she took a crowbar from off of the wall and went over to a large crate marked "Fragile." She cracked it open and I saw the kids in there. There were Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Buford, Baljeet, Isabella, Rosalynn, and Max all in the crate together.

"Well, the plot thickens... and it is certainly not looking to be a good ending _at all_," said Penelope. She stood there with the crowbar in her hands, it looked like she was trying to decide what to do. "Well, we're too far from America and too close to the Enigma, so I am not turning around. I know you left your parents notes and I know you think you are going to be helping us, but all you've done with your appearance is complicate matters worse than they were before. I want you all to keep your heads down and do as Perry and I tell you to since Perry and I are now your authority, is that understood?" The kids nodded. "Good, because I would like to get you all home safe and not the other way." She twirled the crowbar in her hands a moment, then replaced it on the wall. I looked at the kids. Penelope wanted to get the mission done and she was doing the best she could, especially considering this unexpected intrusion.

"None of you had better get in the way. I don't know why you all thought it was a good idea to come here, but I agree with Penelope. You all only complicate matters. Get out of there and go up. I will follow you and we will discuss all of this later," I said.

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><p><strong>So, what do you guys think about the character point of views? Should I do that from now on or should I stick with omniscient point of view like I've been doing? Let me know! Also, I got really lazy and I didn't want to do so many italics for this story, so now Penelope and Perry both have translators, which they will wear for most of the rest of the story. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens from here. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 2: The Showdown in Spain

Chapter 2: The Showdown in Spain

Penelope

We all spent the night crammed into the sleeping quarters on the small ship. It wasn't a great way to spend the night. I really wanted to have a mission where it was just me and Perry. I'm not being selfish when I say that, I just really haven't had time with him lately. Even with his nemesis, Doofenshmirtz, mysteriously disappearing, he was re-assigned, and if anything, he was gone more than normal. He's my mate, I hate being away from him long.

Morning was a hard squeeze. All of us, as I said, were crammed into the sleeping quarters. Imagine where astronauts sleep and that basically sums up what the sleeping quarters were like. The ship wasn't built for a crew of more than four animals. Now, we had four animals and six humans. I wriggled my way out into the main room and took the short, narrow stairway to the cockpit. I started up the ship and set coordinates for Madrid, Spain. An inside source had told me of the meeting place. I could only hope that the source was good.

We arrived in a desert just outside of the city. I woke up the rest of the "crew" and we headed out. We would have to get more materials once in the city. I would also have to see if I remembered my time in Spain enough to speak Spanish.

During my time of running from the hunter, I had gone north into Indonesia, then into South Korea, then north from there until I reached China. I kept heading north until I hit Russia. I decided it was too cold there, and since I didn't want to turn around, I headed west. I spent a lot of time in many of the European countries and I had learned a handful of languages while trying to keep myself and my brother alive.

Spain always made me shiver, there were so many people. They were all so lively and festive. It reminded me too much of home in Australia. Once we were on the outskirts of the city, I shivered.

"Is everything all right?" asked Perry.

"I'm fine, just too many memories, that's all," I replied.

"You've been to Spain?" asked Baljeet.

"Of course, I've been all around the world... except Antarctica and the North Pole. I've never had a reason to go further north than Canada or Alaska. I was in Greenland once as well, but I am not fond of cold climates. America is the perfect climate for me," I responded. We kept wandering around, the kids looking around wide-eyed at the beautiful city. "I actually have a couple of interesting stories about my experiences in Spain." I giggled a little bit at one of the memories.

"What?" asked Perry.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about this Common Genet who had a crush on me. You don't need to worry though, he never had a chance. We have to go this way. The source that called me is supposed to be a Spanish Ibex, and he said he would meet us in one of the narrow-ways."

We started heading into a narrow-way, when I heard what sounded like a prowling animal and I stopped. A Common Genet leaped down and blocked our path. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my little Spanish rose. How good it is to see you again, _mi amor_," he said in his flowing Spanish accent, kissing my hand.

"It's nice to see you too, Carlos, but I am married now, with children," I said, getting close to Perry. The children followed suit.

"Ah, but if you are not here to re-kindle my flame, then why are you here?" he asked.

"We're looking for Santiago, have you seen him?"

"The Spanish Ibex who is part of the Spanish ALPHA, same as myself, hmm... I believe I did see him, he is near the ring. Apparently, his brother in-law is a famous bull here. Good luck getting inside though, you know how the ring gets on bull-fight days." He smiled a smile that would have sent most girls to cloud nine, but I was not that way.

"Indeed, well, it was nice catching up, Carlos. I wish you luck in your hunt for a woman."

"Have you looked at me recently, señora? I will not need luck in that area, good day," he said, bowing with a flourish. I curtsied back and he went away, back to the shadows.

"Was that the same Common Genet?" asked Perry.

"Yes, yes, it was, but, as I said, he never had a chance," I replied.

"Oh? Then, what did _r__e-kindle my flame_ mean?"

"We are in Spain, Perry. The Spanish are typically more expressive than Americans. We never even kissed!" Perry snorted, but seemed to let it go.

After a while, we made it outside of the bull-fighting ring and found Santiago. He greeted us, "Hola, mi amiga! ¿Quiénes son sus amigos?"

"Mis amigos son, Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Candace, Baljeet, y Buford. Estos son mis niños, Rosalynn y Maxwell y esto es mi esposo, Perry. ¿Dónde está el enigma?" I asked, getting right to business.

"El enigma está allí abajo. Ten cuidado, mi amiga, que es para no juega."

"Tendré cuidado. Gracias, mi amigo."

"De nada, buena suerte." He left and I breathed a sigh of relief. I still remembered my Spanish very well, it would seem.

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish," said Perry.

"I speak many languages, Perry. You didn't expect me to travel the world and learn nothing, did you?" I asked.

"Do all of the animals have translators here?" asked Phineas.

"Of course, I issued the offer last week that if anyone wanted one, they could have one. Naturally, there were many orders for translators, and many who did not think it wise to have one. All the same, I think it is easier for everyone this way."

"Right..." said Buford, skeptically.

We headed into the arena and found the Enigma holding up the show by standing in the center. I hopped down and went over to him. Perry and the rest of the kids followed.

"It was certainly not wise to bring children here, sheila. I do not wish to have children's blood on my hands... _yet,_" said the Enigma.

"I do not want blood-shed either, why don't we stop all of this and I take you home?" I asked.

"No can do, Sheila. I intend to take this opportunity and use it in full. Europe will fall, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I've already sent my forces ahead to France."

"What do you think would stop me?" I asked. The Enigma laughed.

"Señoras y señores, después de un breve retraso, os traigo el evento principal. He aquí que por primera vez desde la antigua Grecia, el poderoso, el terrible, el sanguinario, Minotauro!"

My eyes opened in shock. "We're too late." The gates on the side of the arena opened to reveal the monster I had seen in my vision, the Enigma's creation. The creature let out a blood-curdling roar unlike any other creature on Earth.

"Y cómo apropiado que su revelación sea en España, un país famoso por sus corridas de toros. Señoras y Señores, ustedes están a punto de presenciar la corrida de toros más grande de la historia!" The Enigma whistled with his fingers in his mouth and a helicopter loomed overhead. A ladder dropped down and he grabbed the bottom rungs. He gave a malicious smile and said, "¡Hasta la vista!" He laughed as he ascended into the sky and out of sight.

"Penelope, Perry, do either of you have any ideas on how to beat that thing?" asked Isabella.

"We're open to suggestions here!" said Candace.

The Minotaur came forward and I found myself in a state of being frozen, that is, not knowing what to do. For the first time in months, the solution was not in my reach. I suddenly remembered Epolenep's words to me on the night before the purifying. "_Where there is death, death must be, you cannot avoid it._" As much as I hated to admit it, she was right... but now was not the time for death. Before I could take action on my plan though, Perry said, "Take the kids and go. I'll take care of the monster."

"Perry, you can't!" I protested.

"I must... I'd pay any reasonable price to protect my family... and right now, my life is a reasonable price. Now go!" He had a look of determination in his eyes, one that I knew I would not be able to sway him from, so I obeyed.

We went back into the stands, leaving Perry to fight the monster, but I had another idea in mind. "Whatever you would do for me, I would do for you, mi amor," I said quietly. I pulled out a small remote control for the ship and I was able to pilot it just above the arena. I made a ladder come down on it. "Get inside! All of you, quickly! I'll be right behind you!" I said above the noise. One by one, they all ascended the ladder, then, I piloted the ship just over an observation box and landed it. I was not letting Perry fight this one out alone. I went back into the arena and stood by his side, the Minotaur had just begun circling. The game of "Who Will Die First?" had already begun.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with the kids," Perry scolded.

"The kids are safe... and long ago, I made a promise to be by your side, until death do we part," I told him, looking him in the eyes.

He sighed. "I'm not going to convince you otherwise, am I?"

"Never," I replied. The Minotaur let out another roar, then it charged at us. Perry pushed me out of the way and he took the hit. He got slammed into a wall and I cringed. "Hey, Drool-Face! Over here!" I called to the Minotaur. It turned around and roared at me and reared for another charge. "Okay, I got his attention, now what?" The Minotaur would have hit me, had I not gotten an idea at the last second. I ducked and caught ahold of the beast's horns. It roared in frustration and began shaking his head violently, trying to get me off.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flash of teal that could only belong to Perry. Sure enough, the Minotaur howled in pain and I looked down and noticed Perry underfoot. I twisted the creature's horns, trying to steer it, but it was like trying to steer a car with a locked wheel. I locked my knees on either side of its head, my only goal now was to hold on for dear life. I closed my eyes and I felt the creature moving around. It seemed to me it was trying to hit its target. I heard yelps from Perry and howls from the creature.

I opened my eyes and crawled forward on the Minotaur's head. I put my head in front of its face and I looked into the creature's eyes. They were as black as night and it almost took away my courage, but I soon remembered what I had to do. I crawled further on its face until my whole body was on its snout, right in front of his eyes. "I'm the one you want, so take me and leave everyone else alone," I told it. It made another yelp and then growled lowly at me. It took me off of its face with its hoof and held me in front of him by the scruff of my neck. He threw me and I landed against a wall. The last thing I remember before blacking out was hearing Perry call my name.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

I was horrified when I saw my wife thrown against a wall. I saw her drop to the ground, unconscious. "PENELOPE!" I screamed. I looked at her, hoping she would get up, but heavy breathing on my neck reminded me I was not alone in that arena. I turned around and came eye to eye with the Minotaur. I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes at it. "It's time to end this." I grabbed its horns and flipped myself over its head and delivered a kick into the back of its skull. The creature howled and stumbled, dazed. I ran up to it and punched it in the face. It kept swatting at me, but it seemed my kick must have messed with his ability to see straight, because he kept missing. I hit its left knee as hard as I could. The creature collapsed to its left. I hit its right knee. Now, I had it on its knees. I knocked it over and was on his chest.

It was now or never. The creature looked up at me and it was whining. I cocked my head at it, confused. It was such an animal a moment ago, and now it seemed like an innocent creature. I put my fist up, but it seemed to be cowering at me. It was making noises, but I couldn't understand it. This was a creature with a completely different language.

The innocent act didn't last long though, the creature bucked me off and ran toward Penelope. I had to stop it. I couldn't watch her disappear into the distance, not again. The Minotaur grabbed her limp body and began running toward the door. I took out my grappling gun from my fedora and I shot it into the creature's path. The beast tripped and dropped Penelope. I rushed forward, but the creature was up again. He raised a hoof and hit me against the wall. It glared at me with its evil, soulless eyes. It put my entire torso in his mouth and he reared his head in the opposite direction. Then, he threw me. I flew a good distance and wound up on the observation box where the ship was. The creature roared and ran out of the arena, taking Penelope with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, guys, here's my new chapter! I apologize for using Spanish, but half of it was Google Translate anyway, so use it and get over it. So, did any of you expect a Minotaur? What will happen now? Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 3: Facing Fate in France

Chapter 3: Facing Fate in France

Perry

After the Minotaur left the arena, I got in the ship and got into the cockpit. I looked around at the controls. _Okay, how do I start this thing?_ I have a great ability to use technology, but this was different. It was like everything I knew could basically go out the window. I closed my eyes and remembered what Penelope had done to start the ship. I did this and it purred to a start. I smiled. _I'm coming, Pen, don't worry._

Getting the ship in the air wasn't the problem. The problem was that I didn't know where to start. _Wait... the Enigma said he was going to France. Yes. I will corner him and demand that he tell me where that creature took my wife._ Keeping this in mind, I set coordinates for Paris, France's capital, where the Enigma would undoubtedly be.

Once in Paris, I looked around at the beautiful city. I remembered coming here when Doofenshmirtz was looking for his daughter. This memory made me wonder where the evil scientist was. He had been missing since just before Protocol P-1 was put into effect in the Tri-State Area. Penelope had not heard a word about his whereabouts, so she re-assigned me. I knew she didn't want to, but it was nice to have something to do. After all, if I didn't have a job, that would make her the one that "wears the pants" as it were. I rolled my eyes. _Not gonna happen_.

The sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful combination of color. Tears welled up in my eyes. _I wish Penelope could see this. She would have loved it._ I went back in my mind to our first date in the park. We had watched the sunset together and she had come up with a poem that described what she was seeing. I don't know when it was that I truly fell in love with her. I had said at our wedding that it was when she said she needed help. As I looked back though, I thought about all the other times that... I thought she was beautiful.

The first time I had seen her eyes change to violet after her dream. When she danced in her sleep and told me she loved me. When I first saw her in nothing but a towel. When we were kids and she had... such a life about her. She was so much more free as a child.

The deaths of our loved ones influenced her greatly. She would wake up in the night screaming, not from a vision, but from the memory. She would sometimes see or hear something and it would trigger that memory of that night. She was terrified of thunder, not because of the loud noise, like most small animals, but because it reminded her of the shotgun that killed them. I once got a cut in my arm from a mission and she almost fainted at the sight. She fixed my wound with alcohol and gauze, just like any other wound, but tears flowed from her eyes. She couldn't stop crying because my father had the same type of wound on his arm. It was clear to me today that the memory would never leave her. It would haunt her all the days of her life.

When I looked back on childhood, I remembered my time with Penelope. I remember playing and just simply... enjoying life... for all it was worth. I loved my mother, as did Penelope. My mother was kind and loved to do the things that women do. She loved sewing, baking, cleaning, anything that women do; she took it with a smile on her face. Penelope's mother never spoke often, but when it was, it was sharp and cutting. Penelope's mother, it was true, hated Penelope because Penelope wasn't wanted. She was an accident. Penelope's father, however, loved her with everything in him. She learned almost everything pertaining to science from him. She learned how to _live_. _My_ father, on the other hand, was very strict. He was quick in his decisions and never usually thought twice about them. He was always nagging at me to be the best that I could be. Looking back now, I wonder if I met his expectations. I wonder if what I'm doing is good enough. Would he say I am doing everything I can do or would he say I needed to do better? That was always what he told me. " '_Son, you can do better. Do it again._' " The word "try" was not in my father's vocabulary. He never believed in "try" only "do." I think that influenced how I think today. Some part of me remembered my father's words. " '_Don't try, do._' "

"Hey, Perry," I heard Phineas's voice as he came into the cockpit.

"Hey, Phineas," I replied. I kept my eyes on the area outside the window, looking for a place to land.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"What do you mean? I'm going to find Penelope. That's a promise."

"Just don't do anything you would regret."

"I know what I'm doing, Phineas."

"Really? It seems to me you're getting emotionally involved," said Ferb, coming in.

"I am not emotionally involved. I have made a mission in my mind. I am going to track down and capture the Enigma. I will force him to tell me where Penelope is. I will go to the place and if the Minotaur is there, I will kill it," I replied.

"What? Why?" asked Phineas.

"He is an animal. I am an animal. In nature, if an animal takes the mate of another animal, that other animal fights against it for rights. I don't care how big he is, he's going to be eating dirt when I'm done with him."

"Perry, killing him won't make things right. What will you have to gain? What would Penelope do?" asked Phineas.

I thought about his question a moment before answering. "Let me tell you a story. Penelope ran from the hunter for a long time, most of her life. After she grew older, she started tracking him down. She found him, in a cottage in England. He was weak, feeble, dying in a wheelchair from emphysema. She couldn't bring herself to shoot him. They talked it over and he apologized. He had turned away from his reckless ways and he was regretful of how much he hurt her. He told her that if she wanted to kill him, he would understand. She told him that she understood and that she forgave him. She left. She had given him the peace of mind that he was forgiven and he gave her the peace of mind that he was sorry for his actions. That is a scenario of man vs. animal."

"See? They made up, so why can't you...?" asked Phineas, but I interrupted.

"I'm not finished. Another time, when Penelope was more experienced as an ALPHA agent, she was sent after a wild animal that had been eating young animals. Not for fun, mind you, but for sick purposes, because he thought it was fun. Just like the hunter once thought killing was fun. She tracked this animal down and they fought. She tried to make peace with him, but he had another young animal in his sights. She killed him before he could get to the young animal. She had told me these same things and told me 'If anyone comes after our family for harm, I will attack. I understand if you don't do the same, but it will be strange if you don't. We can act civilized all we want, we're still animals, Perry. I would kill for my family.' I look back on what she said now, and I agree with her. That beast harmed her, and I must take care of this the way the animal kingdom would want me to. I must kill it."

"Two wrongs don't make a right," said Ferb.

"Taking the female away from the male makes the male venomous. Why do you think my ankle barbs have poison in them?" I asked. I found a place to land and cut everything but the basic power, which included lights inside, the cloaking mechanism, and the radar. "I will find the Enigma, and when I do, I will make him talk. That's a promise."

I had dozed for a while, waiting for the radar to pick up something. It gave a loud beep, which woke me up. It was night. The radar showed that the Enigma was close-by. I made sure to lock up the ship with the extra remote that Penelope had given me, and I headed to the coordinates.

The coordinates led me to just below the Eiffel Tower. It was quiet and vacant. The only light that could be seen for a long way was the light near the elevator. The small yellow bulb illuminated the entire base of the tower, but not much more. I looked around. _He should be right here_.

"Are you looking for me, platypus?" came a voice. It was the Enigma.

I turned in the direction of the voice, but I saw nothing. "Where are you?" I asked the darkness.

"Haven't you heard?" he asked. Once he said this, my remote beeped. The screen pulled up a picture of Europe and France, which had once been blue, turned red.

"Where's Penelope?"

"Oh, you mean the little Sheila? She is in good hands, if I do say so myself." He gave a deep-throated laugh.

"What do you want with her? Isn't taking over the world enough?"

"Ooh. Have I angered you, Maxwell... that is your name, isn't it? You see, about the only memories I have before my separation with Phillip have to do with times when he was feeling angry."

"My _name_ is _Perry_."

"Touchy. Well, do you remember what I said when Penelope asked me what I wanted? I said that my world wasn't enough. What I meant by that was this, all of my OMEGA agents, even my creation, the first Minotaur in history since ancient Greece, are not enough. They are not the whole world. Did you know that sometimes Phillip and I share thoughts? It's strange to think about, isn't it? Someone so far from you in morality is inside of your head, imposing _ideas_. I have said that to say this, he has shown me how... _happy_ you and Penelope are." He said "happy" with a tone of distaste, as if the emotion were poison to him. "I want your world, _Perry_. I want to live in it, _be_ in it. I want your wife to be my wife. I want your job to be my job. I want your children to be _my_ children. Do you understand me? Even though, in a way, I already have your job." He laughed at this.

"What did you do?"

"Oh. Has no one told you? I have your _Doofenshmirtz_. I kick his sorry hide in a way you never could before. You only tormented his body. I am tormenting his body _and_ his mind. You and I are going to play a little game, platypus. The Minotaur loves his home, something I, out of the mercy of my heart, have re-built for him. If you know anything about Greek mythology, you already know where he is. You can go there and save your precious Penelope or..."

"Or what?"

He scoffed. "I have heard you are quite the force to reckon with, mate. If you are able to get me back with Phillip before the New Year, if you are able to capture me, I will call off all of the agents. I will return the world to normal. You will have your bosses back, you will have your wife back, and I will erase the memories of those who saw all of this. It will be like it never happened. Life can return to normal. If you _can't_... I don't think I need tell you what happens if you fail. It is time to face your fate, platypus, it is either your wife, or the world. Your choice." He laughed and his voice disappeared into the distance. I was about to go after him, but I felt a hit from behind and I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was lying on the same rooftop that the ship was on. I quickly went inside and found everything as I left it. _Why didn't he do anything? He could have taken them all, yet he chose to spare them... and me_. I heard a beeping coming from the cockpit. It was an incoming script message. I pressed the print button and a sheet of paper came out.

It said:

_If you want to play my game, head east, P._

_Where the Nazi was, so shall the beast be._

_If not, it is only an order away_

_To send your wife Tartarus's way._

_Yours truly not,_

_The Enigma._

I wrinkled the paper in my hands. He wanted me to play his game or he would kill my wife. _Well, if that is how it's going to be, then let the games begin._ I set a course for Germany and the ship zoomed on its way. _Don't worry, Penelope. I'm coming._

* * *

><p><strong>All right! Perry's going to save the day! I know you guys probably hate the Enigma now, but if I didn't introduce this problem, I would have a very short book. I like long books. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 4: The Fourth Reich

Chapter 4: The Fourth Reich

Penelope

I woke up in a daze. I was chained to a wall in a very nice-looking room... a room I knew I had seen somewhere before. I heard humming in the hallway and I tensed, knowing who it was. Sure enough, the Enigma entered the room with the Silver Viper close behind. She un-chained me from the wall and put a new chain around my neck like a leash.

"I hope you have enjoyed your rest, dear Sheila. I have something monumental to show you. You see, while you have been asleep, I have been working," he said. I noticed the hair on his head was down on his left side and that he was wearing a tan suit with a Swastika on his left sleeve. This could only mean one thing.

"You have assembled the Fourth Reich," I said.

"Bingo! Come, Sheila, there is much to see," he said. I was led out of the room and into a hallway. From there, we walked down and up several flights of stairs before we reached a large room with giant doors on one end. It was like a giant office. I noticed a giant red flag with a Swastika on it that hung over the enormous doors. On the opposite side of the room was a desk and a giant fireplace behind that. Above the fire was an enormous portrait of the Enigma in the same suit he was wearing now. When facing the desk and looking left, one could see three giant windows with colored glass in them. "For years the Nazis have been around, in secret and in the spotlight, all over the world. You see, Sheila, once something is started, it is hard to bring to an end. Once I started getting European countries under my power, I realized that I was doing something that has been done by many before me: Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Adolf Hitler. These great men all sought world power. Now, in honor of the last man I mentioned, I shall be bringing the Fourth Reich into reality. It won't be long before all of Europe is mine."

"You will never rule; if not me, than Perry will stop you," I said, struggling against the chain.

"Oh, but you are missing the point, Sheila. I know where he is and he knows where I am. Besides the fact, I already have control over the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland; I have France, including Jersey and any city-states there; I have Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Denmark, Germany, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland." His phone buzzed in his pocket. "Now, I have Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic to add to the list. Half of Europe is mine, Sheila, what exactly do you think _you_ or _Perry_ could do to stop me?"

"When Adolf Hitler was getting control of Europe, he lost. You will lose too. It is only a matter of time."

"Ha! Do you actually believe that good will triumph over evil? I am the good and the evil. I am the scale! I am justice!" he put his right hand over his eyes and stood on his desk with a scale raised in his other hand.

"I don't see the resemblance."

"You wouldn't, you are blind to change, blind to what is truly justice," he said as he got down from his desk.

"Is it justice to subject the whole world to a Communist regime? Look around you, Enigma, this is not justice. This is _madness_!"

"You will hold your tongue in the presence of the leader of the Fourth Reich."

"There will be no Fourth Reich so long as there is still a breath in my body."

"Do you think your Perry feels the same way? All he cares about is you. He cares not if _I_ rule or if _anyone_ rules."

"_Lies_!"

"Are they? Look around, Sheila. I am going to finish the work that has been started by so many before me, but never finished. There is a new day coming, and I intend to see it through to the end."

"So, where do I fit in with your master plan? Why me?"

"Simple, Sheila. If Phillip loves you the most, family wise, then I _hate_ you the most. He also considers Perry to be a brother to him. He is also admiring the fact that he is now an uncle. Naturally, if one loves, the other hates. I am going to kill you and your family in the worst ways possible. Well, _I_ won't kill you or Perry. I have something else in mind... _Epolenep_."

"No..."

"Yes. Admit it, Penelope, _you have been feeling her crawling under your skin,_" he began singing in a bass tone.

"_I've been feeling her under my skin,_" I joined, but for what reason, I knew not. My voice, since it was me and not Epolenep came out soprano.

"_She nags at your brain, she wants in._"

"_She will never get in._"

"_You will succumb to her will. Evil is such a tempting taste. Eat the fruit of evil,_" he sang.

"_Fruit of evil,_" my voice came out contralto for a second, Epolenep was fighting for control again.

"_You can't deny the fruit of evil._"

"_I must fight the fruit of evil,_" my voice came out soprano again.

"_It's such a tempting fruit._"

"_Tempting fruit,_" my voice was contralto again.

"_You can't deny the best fruit. We only want what's best for you, so... let her in. Let the dream begin. Succumb to the fruit, take of the fruit, take of the fruit of evil._"

"_Fruit of evil, I won't give in. You can't make me give in,_" I was soprano again.

"_If you do, no one gets harmed, if you don't I have a cord of leather for you._"

"_You would harm either way._"

"_Give in, give in, give in!_" his voice went deeper and deeper with each "in."

"NO!" I screamed, falling to my knees. I was shaking now. I was hearing Epolenep's pleading screams as if she was a real person screaming in my ear.

"I love conflict, it makes me so... amused," he skirted around the word "happy." "Well, Silver Viper, send her to the tower and give her 20 lashes. I wanted it to be the easy way, but apparently she seeks to be troublesome yet again. Leave my presence."

"No, no, no," I left the room at the end of the chain, ashamed of myself.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

_It's December 15th. I have no idea where in Germany they could be. There is so much red over so much of Europe it's hard to figure out which one is the Enigma. This is hard, going without her. The kids are always so happy and playful. If I could gain that sense of innocence for just a little while, maybe my heart wouldn't be aching as much as it is. I never thought someone so beautiful could have this much of an impact on my life... the scanner's beeping again, maybe this time, we've really found him... and by finding him, I will hopefully find her._

I closed the journal and headed to the cockpit. The scanner was beeping wildly and when I looked out of the window, I saw a dark mansion surrounded by fencing all around. We couldn't land in the yard, the wire went all around it, and according to the scanners, we couldn't dig our way in either. The fence was also electrified. I landed a few feet away and told the kids to stay inside.

"We're not leaving you to do this by yourself, Perry," said Phineas.

"Phineas, I deal with this stuff everyday. I think I can handle it," I said.

"Then, what would happen if you got captured?" he asked.

"Well, then at least you guys would be safe... besides rescuing Penelope, your safety is my top priority."

"But, we could help."

I looked at Phineas and remembered again the incident with the second dimension. No doubt when the Major was found that their memories would be wiped again, _if_ he was feeling that merciful. He had told me if he had to do it again that he would send me away. This was my last chance and because of their discovery of me due to Protocol P-1, once the Major was back, I would never see them again. Then again, until the Major was found, it would be nice to be a team again. I heaved a sigh, "All right, I will let some of you come. Candace, Buford, Baljeet, I want you three staying with Rosalynn and Max. If my kids get harmed, _I_ would be the least of your worries. Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, you three come with me. I can only hope I am making the right choice."

Once the four of us were outside, I locked everyone else into the ship and hid it. We headed closer to the fence. The whole thing was live, I could feel it in my fur. I tried to think of something Penelope would have told me to help me out of this situation. If any of us got too close, we would get fried, yet I knew that the Enigma and possibly my wife would be inside.

It was then that I remembered what Penelope had told me about an amazing escape that a man made from a concentration camp that was surrounded by wired fencing. Unfortunately, how he was able to get outside of the fence would be lethal to one other creature. I shook my head. Cutting the fence was out of the question and the generator for the fence was no doubt inside. Then, I noticed a truck heading toward the fence, probably to deliver supplies. I waved my hand and Isabella, Phineas, Ferb, and I got into the back of the truck and hid.

The truck stopped a moment and some words in German were exchanged. Then, the truck went forward. We were in! Now if only we knew where Penelope was being kept, if she was being kept here at all. We all jumped out of the back and went to the shadows. It was mid-day, but it was so overcast with clouds and snowing that visibility went straight down. We skirted the wall, looking for an entry-point. Then, I noticed a door open and the platypus himself walked out into the cold December air. He looked at the sky and breathed a satisfied sigh. He must have smelled us though, since he turned around and looked directly into the shadowed place where we were hiding. He stared for a second before smiling, "Well, mate, you are one gutsy bloke. If you know anything about history in Germany though, you would know that life is a fairy-tale here. You can go looking for her, or you can try to stop me. Either effort would prove fruitless in the end, but if you want to try, then by all means, be my guest."

I stared at him and gritted my teeth and clenched a fist in rage. He knew we were there and had the gall to still treat this like a game! If he wasn't half Phillip, I would take him down. The Enigma went back inside and we kept skirting the wall. The door was still open. I looked inside and felt the warmth of the indoors. None of us were prepped with the proper clothing for this cold of weather... sadly. I was deciding whether going inside would be a smart idea or a trap when I heard a singing soprano voice echoing over the wind. I ran after it. The wind was blowing too hard though, it was difficult to see where I was going, so it was to my utter surprise when I ran into a wall. I fell and looked up from where I lay.

"Whoa! You gotta watch where you're going, buddy," said Phineas.

"Thanks, Sherlock, for the stellar observation," I said, sarcastically. I squinted through the wind and noticed a figure climbing down the tower. I couldn't tell who it was through the haze, but I did know that it was wearing a black cloak. The figure came closer and closer to the ground, but once it reached a certain height, it slipped and fell. I caught it and it yelped. I pulled back the hood. "Penelope?!"

"Perry... we need... to get... out of here... the Enigma..." she said through gasps of pain.

"Shh, it's going to be okay, Penelope," I told her. Her eyes were having a hard time maintaining focus, she must have been hurt very badly. Sure enough, I felt a warm dampness on her back. She was bleeding through the cloak.

"Perry... this is going to be... the hardest thing... I will ever have to ask... I need you to forget about me... and I need you to go to the former Yugoslavia. The Enigma... is going there next," she panted.

"I won't leave you here," I told her, stroking her face.

"If I'm not here... he will ship me out... he's putting me in the monster's care. Please, Perry... I'll be fine... just go." Her head rolled back; she had lost consciousness. I heard dogs barking in the distance. I would do what she said, I would go after the Enigma, but I wouldn't leave her in his hands. She was coming with us.

We all ran to the gates, the dogs weren't far behind us. We had to get out. I reached into my hat, hoping Penelope had gone against my word and had kept re-organizing my hat. I was relieved to see it was true. I found a new object that I had never seen before. It said "De-Electrify." I looked it over. It wasn't something to be fired, rather, it was something to be thrown. I threw it at the fence and the electricity fizzled into nothingness. The doors opened by themselves and we ran to the ship. The dogs were following closely. I opened the doors and made it start taking off early.

The ladder fell down and one by one, the kids went up. Now all that was left was for me and Penelope to get up there. I strained my ears, trying to hear how close the dogs were. I turned around briefly and noticed they were surrounding me, and horsemen were all around as well. I grabbed the ladder and was hoisted up. One of the horsemen grabbed my ankle and I was finding it hard to hold on. I had only one hand on the ladder.

"Come on, Perry!" shouted the kids from above. I couldn't let them down, but I also couldn't hold on any longer. I began kicking with my foot, but nothing was making the horseman let go. I marveled at the horseman's strength until I noticed the glowing red eyes from underneath the hood.

"Oh, great. I _hate_ robots," I said. I knew that I couldn't hold on, but if I let go, I would be putting not only Penelope _back_ into captivity, but I would be putting myself _into_ it as well. I had only three fingers holding onto the ladder. I was slipping. I had to make a decision. I felt Penelope stirring in my arm and I knew I had to hold on, if not for me, then for her.

"I'm sorry, Perry... but, it's for your own safety," she said. She wriggled out of my grip and fell into the horseman's hand. Before I could go back to grab her, the ladder rose and the door closed. The ship ascended and flew away, its coordinates already set for the former Yugoslavia, as Phineas was trying to tell me. I couldn't hear him over my anguish. I was so close. I had her in my hands and she fell. Why did she fall? What did she think she was protecting me from? I got on my knees and wept. The Enigma would pay for the pain he had caused my family, even if he got re-joined with Phillip before the new year, he would still get my fist in his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that sucks. Don't worry though, everything always turns out all right in the end. By the way, I wrote the song in this chapter and the reference to a guy escaping a concentration camp is actually my little allusion to a documentary called "Camp 14." It's a little graphic and depressing, but it's an interesting documentary. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	6. Chapter 5: Slow-going in Slovenia

Chapter 5: Slow-going in Slovenia

Perry

While everyone was asleep, I was in the cockpit. The ship was heading to the closest country that had been part of former Yugoslavia, Slovenia. I hadn't been able to sleep well. Every time I went to sleep I saw her falling back into danger. Tears were threatening to fall again. I was not an emotional platypus, but being without Penelope hurt me inside.

I heard footsteps behind me and I took a few deep breaths to regain my dignity. When I looked behind me, Rosalynn and Max were there. "Where's Mommy?" asked Rosalynn.

"Mommy is... Mommy is in trouble," I said. I couldn't bring myself to lie to them.

"Will you save her, Daddy?" asked Max, coming up to my side.

"Yeah! You can save her from a curse or an evil dragon and true love will triumph over all! Just like the stories Mommy tells us before bed," said Rosalynn.

"You really think I can save her, huh? Be her knight in shining armor?" I hoisted Rosalynn in the air and tossed her around. I took off my fedora and put it on Max's head. "I am the Enigma and I am taking you to my castle and there's no one to save you!" I said in a mock-Australian accent.

"Help, Perry! Save me!" Rosalynn called to Max as I took her from the cockpit.

"Don't worry, Penelope! Your Prince Charming will save you! I will storm the castle and defeat the evil Enigma!" said Max, running after us.

"Help! Oh, help me!" cried Rosalynn, in play.

"Ah, 'Ello there, mate, do you really think you can save your beloved from the likes of me?" I said in my best Enigma impression.

"You bet I can!" said Max. He took a broom from a nearby wall and I took a mop. "On gard-e!" he said, swatting the broom at me. I put Rosalynn behind me and began swatting back, but not too hard. "Take that! And that! And THAT!" he swung to my left, then my right, then he "got" me. I put the broom under my arm and sank to the ground.

"Ah! Foiled by a platypus! What is my world coming to? Oh, what a world!" I said, sinking deeper.

"Aha! Now, fair maiden, we shall escape, for the evil one is at last dead!" said Max, picking up Rosalynn bridal style.

"Yay! My hero!" said Rosalynn. She snuggled close to him and they giggled. Once I was sure they were off-guard, I got back up and started tickling them.

"Aha! You thought you could get away from me, but there is no escape! No escape at all!" I said, still in the Enigma's accent. I was startled from behind when I felt fingers tickling my ribs. "Ah! Foiled again! What is to be done about me?" Phineas and Ferb were tickling my ribs something fierce. I guess Penelope and the children weren't the only ones who were ticklish in the ribs. My children joined in the tickling and I said, between laughing, "Okay, okay, I surrender! I am no match for the force of good and true love!" They all stopped tickling and I took a moment to recover.

"See, Dad? Why don't you just do that?" asked Rosalynn, looking at me with eyes just like her mother's, a navy blue.

"It's... it's not that easy, sweetheart," I said.

"Why not? That's how it always works in the stories, and Mom says that if you believe in something hard enough, it will come to pass," said Max, looking solemn for a moment. I smiled at my kids. They had such a great capacity for hope; a hope that I knew I would never be able to acquire so long as I had the weight of death looming over my heart. If Penelope was right, I would die and, if I didn't save her soon, she would die as well.

I picked up my kids and hugged them tightly. "I love you two, so much," I told them.

"We love you too, Daddy," they said.

After a while, we wound up in Slovenia. I looked around at the countryside of the young country. It was, after all, not very old. From my memory, the former Yugoslavia didn't break up into the six countries and couple of city-states it had today until the early 90's. I landed in a field nearby, scaring some sheep while I did so and scanned the terrain. _Heading to the city would probably be a good idea._ So, with not much else to do, I walked to the capital city.

* * *

><p><span>Penelope<span>

I woke up with a dizzy head again. My eyes opened to snow falling all around me. I sat up and looked around. My reflection was to my left, right, ahead of me, and behind me. I was in the maze of mirrors from my dream. I felt the blood rush from my face, and it wasn't due to the cold. In the center of the small area was a pile of rocks. There was one giant one stacked atop four smaller ones like a table. I looked underneath it and saw the Minotaur. I gasped, perhaps too loudly, and backed away. The creature woke up, its eyes opening sleepily and its great mouth opening. This was my first good look at the teeth. Its back teeth were like a cow's, flat and perfect for grinding plants, but its front teeth were sharp and pronounced, like those of a man. It picked up its head, but hit it on the rock above it. It groaned and shook its head. It was as if it wasn't the same creature that brought me here. It opened its eyes and it looked at me with a look of tender remembrance. Its eyes were no longer black, but they were a blue. I gasped in realization.

"So, this is where you've been all this time. I didn't expect to see _you_ here. I would have expected you elsewhere," I said. The creature made a gentle noise that was like a small roar and I patted its head. "Don't worry. I think I can fix this... it's all just a matter of remembering. I would focus on good, happy thoughts until then, though." I smiled. "I'm glad it's you, I feel safer now than I did before. Perhaps this won't be so bad."

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

_My search turned up nothing again. Only a note that said "Keep trying." I really do not like him. Well, at least my kids and the boys are safe. If I lost them, I don't know what I would do._

_Penelope is still missing, I've lost contact with the help in America, it must be a bad signal or a tower is down or something. I really do feel better writing this all out. It makes the pain ease from me a little, like putting ice on a sprain. Slovenia is the Enigma's now. Tomorrow we go to Croatia. I was able to get a signal there and get in contact with someone with a solid source on the creature's whereabouts. I hope I can see Penelope soon. When I see that creature... well, it's a mindless animal and I will do the same thing Theseus did when he battled the Minotaur... I will kill it._

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><p><strong>Hey, guys, here's the new chapter. I am going to pause the updates until I see more reviews. So, Perry's in a killing mood and Penelope has figured out who the Minotaur is. If this was a movie, you guys would have gotten this sooner. Any guesses on who the Minotaur is? I will be awaiting reviews. Also, did you guys like the cute moment with Perry and his kids? :D Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 6: Spotted in Croatia

Chapter 6: Spotted in Croatia

Perry

"I decided I would do a video log today. Penelope, if I am successful and you wind up seeing this in the future... I love you... more than I can express. We're in Croatia, and I'm sitting in this..." I ducked as a glass was thrown my way. I looked behind me and watched the beverage run down the wall. "...this _distinguished_ establishment of dignity and pride. I am waiting for the contact to show up. He likes being here at this hour, for reasons that escape me at this time. I suppose anywhere you go, you're likely to run into a situation like this. Well, I got to go now, if anyone here is sober enough to notice I have a camera, they're likely to take it... this is not a rich part of Croatia." I shut the camera and put it away in my fedora.

I looked around at the place I was in. I felt like I was stuck in one of those spy movies. I never had to face anything near this bad. Minotaurs, bars, evil men with the intention of taking over the world... this was beyond anything I had ever prepared myself for. If my price was my sanity and my good was my wife though, I would gladly pay it.

"_Hey, buddy..._" This Dalmatian hiccupped and leaned against me as if I was a friend of his. He was obviously not in his right mind. He also had no translator on, making me feel like I was sticking out even more than before. "_...I am looking for a May Day in April, have you by any chance heard of one of those?_"

I searched my mind. I knew this phrase from somewhere, I just didn't remember where. Then, I remembered an old code Penelope had told me about that still circulated in certain ALPHA agencies around the globe. I just had to remember how to phrase it. I turned off my translator and answered, "_Why that is quite foolish of you, mate, for you see, the flowers don't bloom in April._" May Day was the first day of May, and the only way this phrase made any sense was because the first day of April was, of course, April Fool's. April was known for rain and May for the blooming of flowers.

The Dalmatian laughed and pulled me aside. Then, he pulled me into the alley behind the bar. "_Well, you are obviously Agent P of the O.W.C.A., Penelope's muž. Hmm... you certainly are her type. I thought I was the only one left that remembered that old code, well done._"

"_I need information, and I'm willing to pay,_" I said.

"_Don't pay me, consider my helping you the same as settling a debt. You see, I owe Penelope my life. I was going to be brought to America, and that is not a country for a true Croat! No, I am Croat through and through. So, when the ship was about to sail, she rescued me and I've been in her debt ever since. What is it that you need to know, platypus?_"

"_I need to know where the Enigma intends to strike after here and I need to know where Penelope is being kept._"

He laughed. "_You are a funny American, platypus. The Minotaur is back home on the island of Crete._" The door opened and he pushed me aside. Some liquid was poured into a bowl and the door closed soon after, the bowl just outside the door on the step. "_As I was saying, the Minotaur is on Crete. That creature is kept in a better maze than in Greek mythology. I have seen the satellite images the same as everyone else. The paths change constantly. There are mirrors on the floor and the walls. It's like living in a mirror maze. It is the best bit of trickery I've seen since I mistook a cat's tail for a string of blood sausages._"

"_What do you suggest I do then?_"

"_Well, you can't stay here, that's for sure. Every OMEGA agent in the world is looking for you. They will catch you when you least expect and drag them off to his headquarters in..._" As he was talking, he was drinking from the bowl. When he stopped mid-sentence, his body fell to the ground, dead. I heard animal noises in the distance, so I took that as a sign to leave.

I knew I had failed to get Croatia as well as soon as I saw the arrow next to the ship. He knew where I was, yet he was urging me on to face him. Why didn't he face me himself, why play this big game with some of the world's leading powers? I cast the arrow aside and went inside the ship.

"Well, did you find out anything?" asked Phineas.

I turned my translator back on and said, "Penelope is on the island of Crete and the Enigma intends to take Bosnia and Herzegovina next. This is such a pointless game! He leads me on like a dog on a leash. Just when I think I will get free, I find myself being tugged again."

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Phineas.

"Penelope would have me go after the Enigma and try to stop him. I wish I knew where his base was though. The source was about to say it, but he... died suddenly. It is clear that he does not want me knowing where he is at this point in the game. All I can do is keep moving on his chess board and hope that my wife is spared with my efforts." Phineas put a hand on my shoulder and I felt temporarily comforted.

I decided to put the camera away and write in the journal some more. _It is December 16th. It has been a long haul these past couple of days. It's nice to see the world and all of its cultures in closer detail. I had seen it before, but never this close. Europe was so rich with so many things I had never seen before, but also things I had seen before. Penelope got her wish, her children are seeing the world... it's sad that she isn't here with us now. My heart aches for her. All I want to do is hold her again, and never let go. I want to kiss her all night, not for intimacy, but out of love. I want to kiss her all night out of a passion I have burning in my heart for her. I wish I knew what she was going through right now. I wish I knew if she was safe. I wish I knew if she was even alive... I will come for her. Once I get the Enigma out of the way, we can be together again. I'm sure of it. Then, I will know whether she is safe, alive, and well. I will know because she will be with me._

_I remember her once telling me that those you love never leave you. Your spirit clings to them all the days of your life. I can certainly say it is true for me, yet... I still need her close to me. I need her. Please be safe tonight, Penelope. As I look at the clock and notice it is already December 17th, I can't help but feel like we might not have Winter Festival together... or even Christmas. I want this nightmare to end._

* * *

><p><span>Penelope<span>

I stretched on the rock table and looked up at the sky. It was the only thing that wasn't being reflected around me. I haven't had anything to eat in a while. There is a berry bush at the edge of the clearing, but I don't dare eat the fruit. It is an Australian plant and is considered sacred in my family's culture. Eating of its fruit could yield worse things than the thing I was going to have to face soon. The rock under me shook a little, the Minotaur was asleep and his movements were moving the rock. I sighed. The Minotaur, the one with the black eyes, hadn't made an appearance in the great creature since I discovered his alternate identity.

At first, I was glad that someone else could truly understand the suffering I was going through with having another person in my head telling me how to run my life. Then, I began to realize how desperately sad the creature was. I understood that part of my vision now. A horrible, sad creature, two beings molded together into one body. I didn't know how to separate them... not really. I had to give the good counterpart, the familiar one, the hope. Hope is all any creature on this earth can cling to. As I thought, my thoughts began slowing and the stars above me began blurring as I got more tired. I decided to succumb to sleep, after all, it was better than feeling hungry.

"I got it!" I said. I woke up and shook the Minotaur awake. "I know how to break you two apart now." As the creature opened its eyes, I felt the blood drain from my face. The other guy was back, and it was my cue to run.

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><p><strong>All right! Another chapter! I rock... as do you guys. Fact: The Dalmatian's country of origin is Croatia. I had to put one in here. If I offended anyone from Europe thus far, I apologize, but I am only writing this for fun. I actually love the European continent and I kinda wish I had a passport to see it in person. America's cool, but Europe's different, something I've never seen before. So, if anything in here is inaccurate or if you are all like: "My country would not lose to a platypus!" Then, I would like to say to the first, blame the Internet and to the second, the Enigma is a crazy guy and can do what he wants... or what I write him to be. Don't worry though, I don't have a strong belief in tragedies, so this <em>will<em> end well. So... I hope you guys keep reading and reviewing, it only gets better from here. I may need to take a pause for a bit since exams are coming up, but until then, well, you know the drill :)**


	8. C 7: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hysteria

Chapter 7: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hysteria

Penelope

I ran as fast as I could. The Minotaur chased me down the many paths of the mirrored maze. The walls kept changing and I found myself wondering if escape was possible in this "smart" maze. Running from the Minotaur was reminding me of running from the hunter back when I was little.

_Stay calm. Everything's fine. He'll snap out of it and everything can go back to normal._ I told myself these things, hoping my panic attack may be abated. I don't know why, but ever since that fateful day with the hunter, I've never been the same. Every loud, booming noise reminds me of the hunter's gun. Every sick smell takes me back to the hunter's sick musk. I wrinkle my beak in distaste at the memory. I've even had encounters with wild animals who had gone rabid. It was times like these that scared me out of my wits. I wished with nearly everything in me that Perry was with me, protecting me, telling me everything would be okay. I miss him desperately.

I turn down another passage and pause a moment to catch my breath. Then, I calm down a bit since the Minotaur gets closed off by the closing of the wall between me and it. I breathe a sigh of relief. The mirrors had stopped moving, for a time. I took this opportune pause to look for food. I noticed a break in the mirrors on the floor. I dug my fingers in the ground, grasping for some, _any_ bugs in the ground.

_Earthworms: Jackpot!_ I scooped the worms into my mouth and ate them. I don't know when I last ate. It felt like days since my last meal. The wounds on my back weren't helping matters either. They had healed poorly and I could feel the scabs across on my back. If I even moved wrong, I would get them bleeding again, then I would lose more energy. If that happened, and the Minotaur decided to attack me again, then I wouldn't be safe. I looked up at the sky, the only thing that wasn't mirrored to me. _Oh, Perry, please hurry._ I clutched my arms to my sides and got as small as possible, trying to get warm.

Suddenly, a wall opened and hooves grabbed me. I screamed, thinking that moment was my last, but the Minotaur was my friend again and made gentle animal sounds that comforted me. "Let's _not_ do that again," I said. The gentle monster made a small growl of agreement. "I can free you, but I will need Perry's help. He's the only one that could possibly know the old ways of the chief well enough to do it." The Minotaur carried me back, and as he did, I saw a look in his eyes that told me he was not putting much faith in Perry's ability to free him.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

Bosnia and Herzegovina. Why don't they just pick one name? Or separate into two different countries? I don't know. I'm sure Penelope would probably be thinking along the same lines.

It is December 17th, still early in the day. I keep following the OMEGA lights, hoping to, for _once_, be a step ahead of the Enigma. It's crazy to think that the Enigma is half of Phillip; that Phillip has that much evil inside of him. As I go through the country-side, I keep seeing flags like the Nazi flags of old. The land is dark and carries a gloom all across it. I don't think even Hitler had done this good in making Europe look so bad.

I landed in a field, put on a coat, and decided to scout the area. Phineas, Ferb, and his friends followed me. I often forgot that I had kids in the cargo hold. I looked at the land and I felt an emptiness in my heart at how evil can destroy such a beautiful land.

"Where is everybody?" asked Isabella. I felt my kids behind me, tugging at my coat. Their eyes looked up at me with sadness.

I sighed, "Come on, there's nothing we can do here."

Once we were back inside the ship again, the monitor in the cockpit began beeping. I pushed a button and I saw the Enigma's face staring back at me. The only difference he had since the last time I had seen him in July was that he had the hair on his head done to the left side of his head like Hitler and he wore an eye-patch on the hair side.

"What happened to your eye? Couldn't stand to look at the same murderer in the mirror anymore?" I asked, my eyes narrowed with scorn.

"You remind me so much of Penelope. She is such a creature of life and spunk." The Enigma laughed a bit. "I thought you might want to see her." He put on a video and on the video was a mirrored maze and Penelope was running from the Minotaur. The Enigma cut it off at a certain point and said, "It is a pity that her knight in shining armor is not there to comfort her in her hours of madness. You and I both know what running from danger triggers in her mind."

"What do you want, Enigma? Why do you insist on doing this?"

"Control. What does every _bad guy_ want? Every _bad guy_ wants to know he is on top, that he is in charge. They want to go down in history as the greatest masterminds of villainy that every lived. I want fame. I want to see those my good counterpart loved killed in the worst ways possible. I will kill her, Perry, but not yet. There is a time and a place for everything. I merely ask you to keep your patience a while longer. I have Bosnia and Herzegovina now, in case it wasn't obvious. Now, my next places will be Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia, in that order. After Macedonia, I intend to go to Bulgaria, but, if you know your geography, mate, you will know that Greece is directly below Macedonia. So, you can choose to follow me to Bulgaria after Macedonia, or you can try to save your dear little Sheila from the Minotaur's maze. Think about it."

That was the end of his transmission. I punched my armrest in frustration. He was playing with my mind! He was Jerry and I was Tom, it was all about the chase. He wanted attention, he wanted someone to try to stop him. He wanted that person to be me. I growled, frustrated that I was even playing this game. I couldn't see any way out of it either... _unless_... I smiled at my idea.

* * *

><p><strong>All right! Exams are over and I can finally update. So... what do you guys think so far? Ooh! I'm so excited for what I have planned later :D <strong>

**I**** don't know if you guys will feel the same, but it will certainly be interesting. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	9. Chapter 8: Little Montenegro

**I am on an updating montage! Any stories I have not completed I updated today, plus, I have an all new story! So this is the fourth thing I've worked on today. Phew! Thank you, snow day! :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 8: Little Montenegro<span>

Perry

I flew into Montenegro and set the plane on a crash course. I got everyone into a crate and pushed it off. I pulled a parachute on the top of the crate and it veered up. _There__, now the Enigma will think I crashed_. Now, I could focus on the mission ahead: getting my wife back and keeping her safe.

We landed in the middle of a deserted city square. I opened the crate and everyone piled out. "Remind me to never get in a crate with Buford ever again," said Baljeet.

"Duly noted," agreed Candace. I smiled. Everyone was safe. I heard guns cocking behind me and I turned around. _Okay, maybe we're not so safe_.

"Run!" I said. The guns began firing in the distance, but none of the bullets ever hit us. I picked up my kids and pushed myself to run faster, as did everyone else.

"Is there any country in Europe where the Enigma _isn't _trying to take over?" asked Phineas, clearly upset.

"This way," I said, veering down an alleyway. We got behind a dumpster and hid. The soldiers passed right by us. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I want to go home," said Rosalynn, sniffing.

"We'll be home soon, baby girl," I told her.

"Perry, no offense, but we need a better plan than chasing the Enigma all across Europe and trying to stop him only to come too late," said Phineas.

"If my goal was to stop the Enigma, it would have been done, Phineas, I assure you," I said. "The only thing I care about is Penelope's safety."

"Aw, that's so romantic; to travel all across Europe looking for your lost love," said Isabella.

"Romantic or not, half of Europe is in shambles and we are doing nothing about it," said Baljeet.

"And what can we do? I say that once we get Penelope back, she'll know what to do. I, on the other hand... I don't know," I said.

"But, Dad, Mom says that you always have the best ideas," said Max.

"I wish it were always true, kiddo," I said, ruffling my son's fur on his head. I sat back and thought for a moment on my next move. I chanced to look to my left, further down the alley, and I noticed some scenery that looked familiar to me.

Penelope had a vast library of books. Once, she was working on a science experiment, trying to find a cure for the Yin-Yang serum, and I was waiting for her in her library. ALPHA headquarters was certainly bigger than O.W.C.A. headquarters. While looking through the books, I happened upon _The Great Gatsby_. I wouldn't have picked it up had not the author's name been misspelled. Once I noticed that, I picked it up and flipped through the contents quickly, thinking it must be a different book. It _was_ a different book. It was a journal of Penelope's and right around chapter 4, there were a lot of pictures of Montenegro. There were all sorts of secret ALPHA hiding places. It made sense since in the _actual_ book, Montenegro was mentioned in chapter 4 as well.

The alley we were in was one of those ALPHA hiding places. "Come on, we'll be safe here," I said, directing everyone toward the place.

"Where to, Perry?" asked Buford.

"Here! Two ALPHA symbols on one tile! This must be it!" I said, pushing the tile. Once I did, a small passageway opened up. "I'll go first." I took out a lighter from my fedora and lit the narrow passageway. I thought it must be narrow for the kids if it was narrow for me, and I was right. "Close the door behind you."

"It already closed! We're stuck in here!" said Isabella.

"Don't panic, there's always another way out of a tunnel," I said.

We walked down the passage and we soon met a door. I tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. I knocked on the door and a window opened at about my eye level. My eyes met two really creepy albino eyes. "What's the password?" asked the eyes.

"Uh..." I thought about what it could possibly be. Then, I remembered there being an inscription below the picture in the book. It had to be the password. "Little Montenegro?" I tried.

"Lucky guess," said the eyes. The small window shot closed, and a few unlocking sounds later, the door opened. It turned out to be an albino opossum.

"What's an opossum doing in Montenegro?" I asked.

"I could ask the same thing about a platypus," retorted the creature. "The showgirl has the answers... for a price."

"What does she want?" I asked.

"A performance. You knew the password, so you should know all about what the Montenegrin showgirl wants to hear."

I had to rack my brain for a moment before I remembered what song it was that would give us information. I went in my mind to the showgirl page and tried to remember the details. Finally, I remembered. "Where does a platypus get costumes?" I asked, smiling slyly. I could only hope that my performance would be enough to get the information we needed.

The opossum got on stage and gave me the thumbs up. The kids sat down, the best they could in the small chairs, and the opossum began his speech. "Ladies, gentlemen, and showgirl," he gave a wink toward a booth in the corner at this. The showgirl, a red fox, turned up her nose and the opossum continued. "All the way from America, he's the great, the captivating, the heart-stopping..." to this some girls fainted "...Agent P!"

I came onto the stage dressed in a brown suit that matched my fedora. I'm glad I took those fashion tips from Penelope seriously. The showgirl looked at me with a raised eyebrow, clearly interested. I began, "_And now, the end is near and so I face the final curtain. My friend, I'll say it clear, I'll state my case, of which I'm certain I've lived a life that's full, I traveled each and ev'ry highway and more, much more than this, I did it my way. Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway, and more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew, but through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way. I've loved, I've laughed, and cried. I've had my fill, my share of losing, and now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing to think I did all that and may I say, not in a shy way, 'Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way.' For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels, the record shows I took the blows and did it my way! Yes, it was my way._" I ended the song and was met with applause.

The showgirl now stood by the stage; she hitched her head back, indicating to me that I should follow. She led me to a curtain, and once we were behind the curtain, she took me and pinned me to the wall. "Who told you that was my song? Who told you?" she asked fiercely.

"No one! I saw it in a book!"

"Likely story. The only one who knew my song other than me was..." She paused. "Penelope's in trouble, isn't she?"

"She's been kidnapped by a Minotaur. The Enigma is involved. I need to get her back and stop him. If you know anything that could help me, that'd be great," I said.

"Well... the Enigma has a soft spot for me. I have a way to contact her," she said. She pulled me by the hand to her dressing room and put me in front of her mirror, which was like a full body mirror, only bigger.

"That's a big mirror," I commented.

"That's the same size mirror that Penelope has been seeing for a long time now."

"So, how does this help me contact her?"

"You put your hands on the glass and think of her... I think that's how it works, I've never tried it myself."

I put my hands to the glass and thought of her. I thought of how much I wanted to see her again. I closed my eyes and thought of her smile, her laugh, every detail was so vivid to me in my mind. When I opened my eyes again, I saw a reflection in the mirror that wasn't mine. "It worked!" I saw Penelope hugging her knees, back to me. Suddenly, she turned around and when she saw me, she jumped. She rushed to the mirror and hit it with her bill. "You can't go through it, honey," I said. I stopped myself before I said more, I couldn't hear her side and she couldn't hear mine, it was only an image. She seemed to understand though. She put a hand to mine on the glass.

I noticed that her eyes were filled with tears and my heart ached for her. She pulled back and looked like she had an idea. She bit her finger until it bled and began scribbling on the glass feverishly. She was shaking terribly, it must be cold in Crete. She was writing letters on the glass, only they came looking backwards. She finished her scribbling and looked in my eyes with an intensity I only saw in her a few times in our life together. She wanted me to complete the mission and not worry about her... I knew that was what she was saying with her eyes. As for what the mirror said, well, it said _Golden Eagle_. The Golden Eagle was the bird of Albania. Penelope wanted me to keep going with the mission. I hoped she was right. I hoped she was making the right choice. I nodded to show I understood before the image faded.

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><p><strong>I mentioned <em>The Great Gatsby<em> before, I just can't really remember where. I felt a good amount of inspiration to this chapter, it surprised me. I don't own the song, and for those of you who are wondering, it's _My Way_ by Frank Sinatra. All rights to the book and the song go to their appropriate owners, i.e. not me. So, until next time, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	10. Chapter 9: Albanian Patriot

Chapter 9: Albanian Patriot

Penelope

The creature looked at me confused. I explained. "I have to get out of here, and so long as there is a breath in my body, I'm not being the damsel in distress if there is a way out."

The creature slumped to the ground, looking very gloomy and depressed. "Look, I'll come back for you, really, I will." The creature turned its head and moaned in rejection of my words. "I promise you, you _will_ get your life back." I patted the creature's head and scratched it behind its ear tenderly. "Well, wish me luck."

My plan was simple. There was a tree in the middle where we were, whose sap was very stretchy, and I used the sap to make a sling between two giant boulders. I had stacked the boulders up, with the help of the Minotaur, and I now had a way out, hopefully. I took several steps back, feeling the pressure building. The sap was getting harder to push. Just as I felt like I couldn't stretch it any further, I felt the sap being pulled back more. I looked up and met the blue eyes of the peaceful side of the Minotaur. The Minotaur gave me a hopeful look and pulled back until he ran out of room. I looked ahead, at the target area above the wall. Hopefully, I would get shot far enough that I would land outside of the maze.

"You may fire at will, my friend," I said. I braced myself for flight. Then, the slingshot was released and I was sent flying. I kept my body as tucked in as much as possible in order to shoot through the air more easily. It was working! Then, I remembered I had a flaw in my plan: I would have no soft landing. I opened my eyes wide in realization. _Oh dear..._ I felt my flight begin to lessen and gravity was beginning to pull me in again. I shut my eyes and braced myself for whatever landing was ahead of me.

I felt the air rush across my body, then I felt myself impact into something really soft. I opened my eyes and squealed at my good luck: I had landed in a pile of hay. _What luck! Now, I just have to get myself a boat to the main land_. However, that was easier said than done. I heard a roaring in the distance and I knew if I didn't move quick enough, I would be back where I started. I got up from the hay and gave myself the inspiration to run. It wasn't hard to inspire myself; it was a monster only told about in myth after all.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

It is the afternoon of December 17th. We just entered Albania, by way of a kind man in a truck who had business there. Once across the border, we thanked the driver, got out, and continued on our way. Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, Rosalynn, Max, and even myself were feeling drained. I don't blame the kids for getting frustrated, but I can only do so much.

We walked a short distance until we reached a small city. I knew that the kids needed rest; none of us had gotten rest in quite some time. Unfortunately, I didn't have any idea where I could exchange my American dollars for the currency of the country. Even if I did, it probably wouldn't be worth it with how much we were bouncing around the continent.

"_Would you like some help, strangers?_" came a voice from the shadows. It sounded like a bird.

"What business is it of yours?" I asked.

"_Everything that goes on in this country is my business. My name is Arian. I wish to help you, as beings who have set foot on Albanian soil, I feel it would be a privilege and an honor to help you in your time of need,_" the bird said, giving a bow that was made all the better with the wave of his wing before putting it to his chest. He stood up straight and I couldn't help thinking how much I could see him as being a national symbol. "_Come, citizens, follow me._"

Arian led us to a hotel. We went inside and I couldn't help but notice that the place was completely overrun with animals. "Where are the humans?" asked Baljeet.

Arian said something that I translated: "He said you guys are the only humans above ground. Everyone else is in hiding and under the protection of ALPHA."

"More ALPHA animals... is there anywhere in the world where there isn't an ALPHA base?" asked Isabella.

I translated again: "He said hardly."

"_Now, let's see about getting all of you a nice comfortable room, hmm?_" said Arian. He led us down a set of stairs and into a hallway with jail cells. There were humans in the cells, going about their lives. Some of them were wandering fairly freely, getting out of their cell for exercise, but not many. There were too many mothers with their children, holding them tightly. Fathers were holding the mothers and the children. Families were sitting still as the world around them seemed to be ending. Arian picked up a translator. "I apologize for speaking in the animal tongue, but I have to be as animal as possible when I go outside. We have been tracking the Enigma's movements closely. We know he will strike here next. All we are waiting for is the order, the plan. Unfortunately, we recently received word that Penelope, ALPHA's head, has been kidnapped by a horrible beast. So... we have no idea who to turn to. There is no clear key for who gives orders when Penelope is absent."

"Did someone say my name?" came a voice. My blood froze. It sounded like Penelope. _It couldn't be..._ I turned around and there she was. She stood there in the same black cloak she had been wearing when I last saw her. She looked at me, her eyes that vibrant violet that I had fallen in love with.

"Penelope?" I asked.

"In the fur and cloak," she replied.

I rushed forward and lifted her from the ground in a hug. I twirled her around before finally setting her down again. I pulled away a moment to get a good look at her and pulled her in for another hug. "I missed you so much, Pen," I said. I felt tears threatening to come to my eyes.

"I missed you too, Perry, very much." I could tell she was crying since she sniffed rather noisily and I could feel her tears going down my neck. I would have taken her in any condition though, because... she was my wife.

"How did you escape?" I pulled away and looked into her eyes, those sweet, violet eyes.

"Well, it wasn't that hard. There were a lot of plants from our home in the maze's center, where I spent most of my time. One of the plants we call "The Stretchy Plant." The sap of that tree is so flexible, it is often used for weaponry back home. I got the sap between some rocks and made a slingshot. I shot out of there, fast as a rocket, and landed in a pile of hay. Once I heard the Minotaur coming after me, I knew I had to run, and so I did. I was eventually able to give the Minotaur the slip by boarding a small rowboat. I rowed to shore and birds were able to fly me here."

I laughed, hugged her again, and kissed her. I pulled away and couldn't help the tears coming out of my eyes. I stroked her face, feeling that if I didn't keep her within my touch, she would be gone again. I pulled her in for another kiss.

* * *

><p><span>Penelope<span>

I was so overjoyed to see Perry again. It felt as if the greatest pain I ever endured had just been relieved. His kiss was like the medicine for my aching heart. I was back with him again. I don't think there was ever a time when either of us was this happy... no, not happy. Happy is too soft a word for what we felt. We felt _overjoyed_ at seeing each other again.

I was surprised when he kissed me again. His tongue invaded my mouth and I moaned, half in surprise and half in pleasure. I kissed him back. He was winning the battle for my mouth. As the male counterpart, he was letting me know that I was _his_ and his alone. It wasn't anything primal, it was passion. He kissed me because he had missed me so terribly and wanted me to be with no one else. When I returned his kiss, I was telling him, in my own way, that I understood... and that I agreed. This made me cry again, but not out of joy this time.

"Penelope? What's wrong?" asked Perry, pulling away and looking at me with those calm, cocoa brown eyes of his. This made me sob all the harder. "Pen, you can tell me anything. You know that right? I made a vow to be with you and you with me. Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, Perry. I would trust you with my life and the life of my child, but, Perry..." I said, breaking again.

"Child? We have _two_ children, Pen. Don't you remember?"

I looked at him and sang, "_I remember a son and a daughter. I remember thinking them both to be mine. She has denied me though. I named my son, Maxwell, and he is truly mine. She named him Galahad and hates him more than you. I named the girl, Rosalynn, thinking her mine, but she is not. She is not mine. She is hers... and she named her daughter Atgas. Galahad means pure, noble, and selfless and Atgas means hateful._"

"Pen, don't talk like that. She doesn't have that much control over you... does she?" he gripped the sides of my head. It was his tactic for trying to get _me_ to stay with him so that _she_ wouldn't surface.

"_It's no use, Perry, she's not mine. It's no use, Perry. I bore you a son, but it was not I who bore your daughter. Her mother has shown me the future. She showed me a dark, stormy future. No matter what we do or where we go, Rosalynn is Atgas and she will hunger for blood_."

"Is that what you wouldn't tell me?"

I couldn't lie to him again... but I could deviate from the truth. "No," I responded in a talking voice. I looked away from his eyes. I couldn't deny him if I looked in his eyes.

"Pen, look at me... Pen..." I looked at him and I saw more love in his eyes than I had seen in anyone else.

"You're not the one who will die... if everything goes according to how _I_ plan it to go."

"What do you mean?"

"_She wants you, Perry. She wants you dead. Everything I love she hates. She put a mark on you long ago. Some day soon, I will lose control again and will have to choose... have to choose._ She would have you dead and I would have you living. The only way to prevent the death of one is to cause the death of another."

He looked at me. I knew by his eyes that he knew the answer, but he still asked anyway. "If not me, then who?"

My eyes filled with tears again. "Her other target... someone else she hates as much as I love."

Perry pulled me into another hug and I cried into his coat. "Don't worry, Pen. I'll take care of this. I'll make sure nothing happens to any of us."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Perry Flynn," said my other side, Epolenep.

"I'm sorry about that... she is right though. Someone will have to die... and I will spare you," I said.

Perry nodded, pulled away from me, went over to the group, and put his hands on Max's shoulders. "If _she_ can hear me... this is _mine_." He put his hands on Rosalynn's shoulders next. "This is mine as well. If you make one move to harm one hair on their heads..."

My body burst out laughing. I knew it was Epolenep again. "You foolish boy! I care not about the children. It's going to be either you or..." Before she could say more, I shut her up by covering my mouth. She left the forefront of my mind and I breathed deeply, relieved. This was one secret I intended to keep.

* * *

><p><strong>Hmm... Epolenep's causing trouble again. She's starting to gain control of Penelope's mind more. I hope you guys liked the reunion. If Perry's not going to die, then who is the next best target? Who does Epolenep hate enough to kill almost as much, if not more, than Perry? I also wrote the song in this chapter... in case it wasn't obvious. I will reveal all if you please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	11. Chapter 10: Macedonian Mountains

Chapter 10: Macedonian Mountains

Penelope

I thought it might be best if we got a new form of transportation. We rode in a cart of hay led by a donkey until we reached the border between Albania and Macedonia. We jumped off and trekked through the oncoming snow. I thanked the donkey and bid him go back his own way.

We walked for a little while until we reached another town. The Enigma had Albania in his clutches. Along with nearly half of Europe. It seemed every country that was free and we went to, was soon after captured. I felt bad that I had been, indirectly, the cause of all of this. If I had never made the Yin-Yang serum, none of this would have come to pass.

It was getting late in the night, so we found an inn to spend the night. Luckily, I had currency for any country anywhere, in case of such a time as this. Tomorrow would be December 18th. It wasn't long before it was time for the winter festival on Winter Solstice. It would also soon be Christmas... our first holiday with the children.

I looked out the window of our room (we were all sharing one room) and sighed sadly. If future events were going to happen as I thought they were, one of us wouldn't be home for Christmas. I had to stop the future from happening... for all of us.

The kids were asleep, and it looked like Perry was as well, so I sat down and began writing a note. However, Perry got up and put a hand on my shoulder. "Can't sleep?" I asked.

"Perhaps I'm too excited. We're going to have Christmas together, our very first since we were young children. We also have children of our own to share it with," said Perry, reaching a hand to my cheek, but I swatted him away.

"I told you before... I only have one child. You don't seem to understand how hard this is for me. I get wandering thoughts of murder in my head... among other things blood-related," I said in despair.

Perry put his hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "It's okay, it's going to be all right."

"No, it won't!" I said, backing away. "Before this year is over someone will die and I won't sit here and let it happen. If Epolenep is the cause and I can stop her, I will." I started toward the door, but Perry blocked the way. "For your safety, I suggest you move."

"Pen, nothing's going to happen, okay? Stay with me, stay with us. We need you."

"You need me gone more than you need me _here_ right now. I'm sorry, Perry, but this is what I have to do."

"Oh, come on, how bad could it be?"

I looked at him harshly and went to the mirror on the dresser. "Look at this reflection and tell me what you see."

Perry came up onto the dresser with me. "I see _us_, Penelope."

"I see _you_, but I do not see _me_. Every time I look into a reflective surface, I see her vileness sneering at me. She tells me of the hurtful truths, the things I cannot avoid... no matter how hard I try. Look, if I leave before anything happens then nothing will happen. My vision will not come to pass if I leave and stay away until next year."

Perry put a hand to the side of my face and looked at me with shining eyes. "Please, Pen, don't leave. I can't lose you again."

"Oh, Perry, if you only knew. _If you only knew my pain. If you only knew how hard it is to be me. I hear a voice that isn't mine... that isn't mine. The voice tells me to kill, maim, and destroy, but my heart will not hear. I am beginning to lose control because all I hear are voices. Voices telling me what to do. Do you know how hard it is to hear a voice inside of you... that isn't you_?" I sang in soprano.

"_Oh, Penelope, my sweet Penelope, don't think that I don't understand. I see her in you and it burns me to the core. I look in your eyes sometimes and I see someone... someone who isn't you._" Perry had such a smooth baritone and, had it not been for the horrible tear in my ability to choose, I would have melted for it.

"_Perry, I have to go. If I don't you die..._"

"_If you do I die. Don't you understand that I need you here with me... more than you need me._"

"_My heart can't bear to see the future come to pass. If I don't go now, we will lose our chance._"

"_If you only knew how much I love you, how much I need you._"

"_I need you... to let me go._"

Perry looked in my eyes with such a sadness that it made my heart heavy. He embraced me tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, I would disappear from him forever. "Promise me you'll come back."

"I can't make promises I can't keep, Pear." I felt tears threatening to fall, but I withheld them. "Keep them safe." I pulled out of his embrace and he held my hand. I slowly let my grip go, as did he, until our hands were sliding across each other. "_Remember me, Perry, remember me._" Our hands slid until it was just fingertips, then we weren't touching at all. I hopped out of the open window into the snowy night. I ran, but I took the time to look back at Perry, still watching me from the open window. "_If you only knew that she would kill you if I didn't stop her. It will either be pain for you or it will be pain... for... me._" I walked on into the night until I couldn't see the light from the inn anymore.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

I knew I had to let her go. Phineas had once said, 'If you love something, you gotta set it free.' I loved Penelope more than anything... and if this was the only way she could be happy, then I trusted her.

We were awoke at an early hour. I don't think it was even light out yet. There was this huge dog panting in my face. "Whoa!" I said, backing away uneasily. The dog looked at me, still panting, and picked me up in its mouth and began running away with me. "What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" The dog never answered, only kept running.

After a while, I noticed we were heading into the mountains. I heard the kids following from behind. _Why, oh, why didn't we just send them home before all the chaos happened?_ I thought. The dog still didn't stop or so much as slow as we went higher, into colder weather.

The wind was blowing hard and I could feel the dog slowing down, getting tired. Nonetheless, his grip never weakened. Eventually though, everything living must rest. The dog plopped down, sitting, and dropped me rather abruptly.

"Okay, now that we're out here, why'd you bring me here?" I asked.

"Perry! Are you all right?" asked Phineas, coming up. He came forward and hugged me.

"I'm fine, just confused." The dog then picked me up again and plopped me down some distance off. "Would you quit it! You're getting drool all over me!" The dog responded by nudging me forward.

"He can't talk; a run-in with the Enigma made him lose his voice," said a voice a little distance ahead.

"Penelope? What are you doing out here in the mountains?" I asked. I made a move to get closer, but she stopped me.

"No! Don't come any closer. It's going to be... it's going to be a little difficult to accept."

"Harder than the fact you have two people in one head?"

Penelope came forward and I noticed she was brighter than normal. Her entire body was surrounded by a flowing, multi-colored light. It was as if the northern lights had chosen her to be near her. She looked at me with a look of sadness, and maybe fear.

"Well, that's... _new_," I said.

"You don't remember what this means for me, do you?" she asked.

"Uh, no... why? Is it important?"

"It's better I keep this to myself. The Southern lights have come to me because of the vision I had. It only confirms what I saw."

"Penelope, you're not making any sense and it's starting to make me crazy."

"You're crazy? _You're crazy? YOU'RE CRAZY?!_" She then began shouting at me very sternly in our native tongue.

I shouted over her in our native tongue as well, trying to calm her down. It just seemed to escalate and get more blown up with every thing I said. Finally, it seemed she couldn't take it anymore, so she stopped talking. Her silence wasn't long-lived though.

"Perry Bartholomew Flynn, my chosen mate and companion and father to the one and only child I can possibly claim to be mine... I want a divorce." She had never said anything so calmly or seriously in her life with me.

"Pen..."

"You're only making this harder than it has to be. You and I must be separate for a time... and if that is the only way, then that is what I choose." I looked at her, then I got closer to her until we were only inches apart. She looked at me, her eyes a steely, icy blue. I knew those weren't the eyes of my wife.

"I'm sorry I had to do this." I grabbed her and restrained her on the ground. She flailed and protested, both Penelope and Epolenep. "Phineas, get over here!" Phineas came over quickly, but he didn't come close. I would imagine Penelope looked rabid at that point. "The vial from my fedora, force it down her throat. Plug her nostrils and close her beak until she swallows it." This made Penelope protest all the more, but Phineas was able to get the vial from my fedora. Penelope flipped me over until I was on her back and she was on the ground. I held her as firmly as I dared, not wanting to hurt her. "Give it to her, now!" Phineas did so and while Penelope did struggle momentarily with it, she soon became limp as the drug took effect. I picked her up and put her over my shoulders. "Well, let's get going then."

* * *

><p><strong>Before you guys say anything, he didn't kill her, it's a sedative. Also, all Penelope is trying to do is protect the one thing she can't live without: her mate. It'll be tense for a while, but please keep reading and reviewing, it <em>will<em> get better from here. Also, I wrote the song in this chapter as well. I'm getting rather musical lately, it would seem.**


	12. Chapter 11: Saint Sofia in Bulgaria

Chapter 11: Saint Sofia in Bulgaria

Perry

I can't say that I didn't feel bad about drugging Penelope, because I did. There was a certain unspoken code between us and in that code was included: Don't drug me. I broke that code. So, I didn't blame Penelope for not wanting to talk to me or even look at me.

We rode in the back of a semi into the capital of Bulgaria: Sofia. Penelope had received a vision that showed that the Enigma would be in the Saint Sofia church in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was unanimously decided that we needed to catch up to the Enigma and get a foot in the high rock wall that was the struggle for the dominance of good or evil.

As the semi rattled down the road, no one really said anything. Penelope was treating me coldly and the rest of my company didn't want to talk to me either. Perhaps one day when they were married like Penelope and I were they would understand.

"Perry?" asked Penelope. This was her first statement toward me in hours.

"Yes, Penelope?" I asked, hopefully.

"What will it take for me to get you to let me go?"

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me until death do we part, my dear."

"Very well then... and there is no persuading you otherwise?"

"Penelope... I will _never_ leave you... _ever_ again. Where I go, you will go. It's the only way I can keep you safe."

"But see, that's the problem, Perry. The more we're together, the more likely it is that my vision will come to pass."

I was stopped cold by that. It was too sad to think about. I didn't know for certain, but I could guess fairly well what she intended for the future. If Penelope could hold back Epolenep long enough, she could make a move to kill someone else... someone expendable in her mind. It went entirely against her instinct though... and I would rather it be me than the one who she was intending to kill. "Penelope..."

"Perry, when this mission is done, I want the memories of our children to be wiped. I would rather them not remember this adventure."

I looked at our children, Rosalynn and Max, sleeping soundly in-between Candace and Isabella. I knew Penelope was right. If I or... the other person... was going to die, then I wouldn't want the children to remember it. "I understand and will do my best, Pen." Penelope nodded and soon after, the semi stopped. We had reached our destination.

We all got out of the semi and found ourselves in the beautiful capital city of Sofia. If it hadn't been for future events looming over my head and Penelope's, it might have been much more beautiful than how we were seeing it right then. Our driver gave us directions to the church, saying that he couldn't go all the way there since he had to drop off his remaining cargo elsewhere. We thanked him and soon, his semi roared away into the distance.

We walked a short distance and soon came in sight of the great church. We walked inside and Penelope looked at the ceiling a moment before turning her head to the ground, shamefully. It was as if she felt like a beggar in a place like the Ritz. I wish I knew what she was thinking. Honestly, I learn more about her each and every day. Just when I think I know everything about her, she puzzles me again. It's like going through a long and difficult maze, when you think you reach the end, you reach another dead-end.

"Well, well, well, what a surprise to see a platypus like you in a church like this, Penelope," said the Enigma, at the head of the church near the altar. Penelope looked at him, but maintained silence. "What? No witty come-back? No 'this ends here'? Where have your ideals fallen?"

"I just want this over with, Enigma. I don't much appreciate what you are putting me and my family through," said Penelope.

"Ah, perhaps you are going through the five stages of grief? Hmm? This sounds an awful lot like the first stage: denial."

"Whatever, Enigma."

The Enigma laughed, a deep echoing laugh, "You don't get it, do you? I will gain control of Europe and there's nothing you nor anyone else can do to stop me. I will make sure that when I rule Europe, you and your mate here shall see it in all of its glory. At that point, and at that point only, will I cut the golden cord."

"Fine," Penelope said, indifferent to what the Enigma was saying. She turned around and began to walk out.

The Enigma looked a little taken aback by this, "Where are you going?" he rushed forward. "Oy, I'm not finished with you yet!"

"And neither I with you, mate," Penelope said, turning around and throwing a knife in the Enigma's direction.

* * *

><p><span>Penelope<span>

The five stages of grief, pshaw! As if! I was acting so that I could catch the Enigma off guard... and so I did. When I threw my dagger, he almost didn't dodge it in time, but he did.

"Good one, you must be as game as Ned Kelly to face me," said the Enigma.

"I'm not the one who's game," I said, smiling. I then felt myself leave the driver's seat and Epolenep took over. My body lunged toward the Enigma and tackled him like a cat. He was pinned to the ground and he was looking at me with a grin of victory.

"Well, hello, Epolenep, my little larrikin... perhaps you and I can make music together."

"You know what they say, E, the good girls like the bad boys and the bad girls like the good guys. It would never work between us," said Epolenep.

"Perhaps, and perhaps you and I would be the best thing this world has seen since Romeo and Juliet."

Epolenep laughed, a short, annoying ha-ha. "Perhaps someday you'll be my bloke, but for now, I'm in a much different mood," said Epolenep. She got off of the Enigma and started heading toward Perry. "No, I'm not letting you ruin my fun this time. I'm going to make love to a man in a church."

I was able to shut her down before she did any permanent damage and looked back at the Enigma. He laughed. "It's only a short matter of time..." his phone buzzed. "Oh, look, I have Bulgaria now... until we meet again, Sheila," he bowed out and walked off. Perry ran after him, but the Enigma tossed a smoke bomb in his direction and the smoke fogged up the entire room. By the time we were able to see clearly again, the Enigma was gone.

I thought how odd it was that Epolenep was getting harder to control. I was in charge of my own body, wasn't I? Well, at least I knew one thing: I had lied to myself about faking the five stages of grief. I was experiencing the second stage now: anger.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about this chapter not being as exciting as the last couple. I'm too excited for the ending to really focus on what must come to get there, step by step. However, as I am running out of European countries, I imagine I will only have a little over 20 chapters. Notice I used a lot of Australian slang in this chapter, so if at any time you get confused, google it. That's all I have to say about that. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	13. Chapter 12: Serbia Man

**When I was about halfway before this point, I realized that Kosovo was no longer just a small dot on the map, but it became a more respectable country. Since I had already plotted the path the characters must take and since Kosovo is out of the way of that, I will mention it here in this chapter along with Serbia. It's not that I don't care, it's just a small matter of ignorance. Besides that, the only world map in my house is a map from the 80s, so Yugoslavia is still a country and Germany is divided *rolls eyes.* Anyway, please read :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12: Serbia Man<span>

Penelope

We had crossed another border into the country of Serbia. It wasn't out of our way and it was just another point on the map. We would have gone to Kosovo, but the Enigma had that as well. We had to learn the Enigma's base of operations before anything worse happened.

As we wandered through the countryside, I felt a pain in my heart. I wondered if _any_ of Europe wasn't in shambles because of the Enigma. The ground was scorched and buildings lay in ruin. It was as still and quiet as a graveyard... which, it probably was.

Isabella went over to an overturned timber and picked up something from the ashes. It was a small doll with burn marks, as if it endured a terrible fire. I felt my eyes ache as tears threatened to fall. Isabella voiced my thoughts, "Why would anyone do such a thing?"

I pulled my cloak closer to my body, trying to escape the intense cold. Perry put his arm around me and I felt a great deal warmer. "Thanks, Pear," I said quietly. He responded by kissing my head and rubbing my arm in comfort. I don't know what I would do without Perry. I thought that by trying to drive him away, that I might spare him the events to come. I was wrong though. He intended to stay with me to the bitter end... no matter who it was that would die.

Our children, Max and Rosalynn, crowded around near my cloak, holding it as if it was a safety blanket. I frowned sadly. If only I was safe anymore. Epolenep was making me a harder person to be around. Everyone was keeping their distance from me except Perry and the children.

"So, what's the plan? Are we just going to miss the Enigma again?" asked Candace. I looked at her in dismay. I hoped that it wouldn't be true.

As we stood there in the snow, not really knowing what to do, we noticed a small creature approach us at a rapid pace. As it came closer, I saw it was a mouse. It gave me the ALPHA greeting, so it must have been an ALPHA agent. I greeted it back and it gave me a small scroll before running off again. I opened it and nearly squealed in glee at the message contained therein.

"What is it, Pen?" asked Perry. I gave it to him to look at and his eyes got big. "Is it credible?"

"Do we care? Come on, let's go!" I said, beginning to run off, but Perry stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"Now, hold on, don't think I'm letting you go running off in your condition. We need transportation." I sighed heavily, but I knew he was right. I did still have scars on my back from the whipping after all.

Just then, I noticed the sky appear to bend in certain places. It was noticeable only for a few seconds before it disappeared, and then reappeared. I didn't know if it was ALPHA or OMEGA, as both agencies used the cloaking technology. A technology that only betrayed itself if one was looking for a cloaked object. The ship hovered over us and I noticed the "a" on its belly. _Yep, that's ALPHA_. I let the kids climb the ladder first. Then I climbed up, followed by Perry.

When we got in the ship, I noticed it was much like the ship we had come to Europe in. The commander of the ship greeted me and my traveling companions. I was then able to convey that we needed to get a move-on toward our next destination: Romania, or in other words, the former Transylvania.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

As the ship made its way to Romania, I took the time to look out the window at the land. It was much worse seeing it from a bird's-eye view than it was from the ground. It was like we had advanced from looking at one patch of a quilt to the whole quilt... and it was not a beautiful quilt. There was black for the ashes, red for the blood, and white for the snow. It was truly a quilt of evil that lay below us.

I looked over at Penelope. She was trying her best to maintain her calm... especially after having had a panic attack more than once since this morning. I was glad the kids missed her anger stage. Now, I suppose if things were to go the way they must, her next stage would be bargaining. I hadn't seen any signs of that yet, but I had an uneasy feeling that it would be rearing its head soon.

"Hey, Pear?" asked Penelope.

"Yeah, Pen?" I asked. I grabbed her hand and rubbed it with my thumb, a calming gesture I would give her in times of stress.

She leaned toward my ear and whispered, "Let's have a little fun in the cargo hold. If you do, I'll do anything you want."

I looked over at the kids, who were looking at us with raised eyebrows. "It's not the mating season, dear. Besides... do you think this is really the best time?" I whispered to her.

"I want to feel you touching me in a way that no one else can. I'll do _anything_ if you'll just make love to me," she whispered. Then, she discreetly put her tongue in my ear, which made me jump a bit. She pulled away and looked at me with pleading eyes.

_Perhaps this little 'adventure' may abate the next stage: depression._ I thought it over a few times in my head. I would have loved to at any other time, but right now... I don't know. It didn't feel right. I took a deep breath.

I felt Penelope at my ear again. "Do you want me to _relax_ you?" she asked. She put a hand on my leg and slowly began creeping upward. I stopped her.

"Pen, the kids are watching," I whispered to her harshly.

"_Perry_..." she said insistently. "_Please_, I need you _now_. I'll do _anything_," she said again.

I sighed again. _I hope everything turns out okay. I don't want to hurt her and I certainly don't want Epolenep rearing her ugly head while I'm with my wife._ "All right, let's go to the cargo hold... but we need to be very quiet, okay?"

"_Anything,_ Perry, I need a release." I held her hand, got up, and started toward the cargo hold with her. "Watch the kids and don't come down for us. We'll be back soon." We went below the main deck and I hoped beyond hope that this was a good idea. If one thing went wrong, it could turn out disastrous.

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><p><strong>Okay. So, there's that. I intend the next chapter to be really cool, so stay tuned. I hope you all like it so far. Notice the play on words I used for the chapter title: Serbia Man, translates to: Sir, be a man. I had originally intended for something else, but intimacy works just as well for this purpose. Understand that obviously there are some events that I don't write about except in memory form, so they don't wind up as being main events. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	14. Chapter 13: Romanian Art

**Hey guys! I was going to do this chapter a little differently. I'm going to start with The Enigma's point of view. I thought it would be a good time to evaluate which countries he owns because I've moved pretty quickly and we need a list. So, without further ado, here it is!**

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><p><span>Chapter 13: Romanian Art<span>

Enigma

I sat in a large chair made of ebony wood with red cushions. I was posing for a painting. I was wearing a grey uniform with the Swastika on the left sleeve. I was posed in the chair in a way that indicated power yet it was a lounging position. I, personally, liked the grey over the tan. Grey was more... evil. I smiled at this and I looked at the Silver Viper sitting in a chair beside the painter. I was not angry with her for taking my eye from me. I actually love women who have the tenacity to defy me. Of course, these things cannot go without punishment. When she took me eye, I had taken a poker from the fire and burned her left wrist. No matter what either of us did, we would live with our scars.

"That's a good line. Sheila, take a note: No matter what we do, we live with our scars. That can be a quote from one of the greatest rulers of all time a.k.a. yours truly," I said.

"Yes, sir," she said, taking it down in a small notepad which I required of her to carry at all times.

"Tell me, do you have my kingdoms listed in that same notepad?" I asked.

"Of course, sir," she replied.

"Recite," I twirled my hand, indicating her to do it quickly.

"Your kingdoms in Europe are as follows: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City, Moldova, and Kosovo. These are all the territories in Europe that have been taken over and re-named your kingdoms."

"Romania as well, Sheila, we would not be here if it wasn't mine to be in."

"Of course, sir."

A pause followed. After a short time, the painter said, "I am finished with your portrait, Mr. Enigma."

"Excellent; Sheila, what is your stance on my portrait?" I asked.

"It is rather striking, sir. An uncanny resemblance," she replied.

"Turn around the easel that I may see this... 'uncanny resemblance,' " I said. The artist turned the easel around and it _was_ rather striking. "Hmm... a rather interesting piece. Sheila, make a note to have this one enlarged and replaced with the one above the fireplace. _This _is your magnum opus, sir, and I would rather like to see it everyday." I appreciated paintings of myself. I was the only person who had the correct character for a portrait: stern, cold, calculating, powerful. "You may leave now, sir, and I expect to see you again tomorrow, or whenever my schedule is free." The artist left and I asked the Silver Viper, "When is the sculptor coming in?"

"He waits in the hall, sir," she replied.

"Oh, indeed! Very well, show him in."

The sculptor came in with several assistants, all of them wearing black cloaks covering the entirety of their bodies, pushing this large slab of grey granite. I thought all of them were rather small and I said so. "You are all rather small to be sculptors aren't you?"

"Yes, yes, we are," said one of them. The one who had spoken had an abnormally shaped head that was not hidden too well by the hood.

"Very well then... proceed with your work, whichever of you is the sculptor."

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><p><span>Perry<span>

I couldn't believe this was working. Penelope had come up with the plan to sneak into the Enigma's palace in Romania. We went inside by way of the laundry in the castle and were able to "borrow" some black robes to disguise ourselves. She hadn't had much of a plan until we entered the main hall and noticed a sculptor. She and I knocked out the sculptor and put him in a closet. We then waited, for not very long, in the hall for us to be called in. Penelope had said it would be perfect since the Enigma was so vain.

When we entered, I knew he noticed something odd about us, but was relieved when all he did was comment on our size. Phineas responded and, thankfully, the Enigma didn't recognize the voice. When the Enigma asked for us to proceed, it was Penelope who hopped on top of the rock. In a disguised voice, she asked, "Does master require sculptor to chip at mighty stone image of master in chair?"

"Oh, hold on a moment, let me pose for you. This chair _is_ rather more suitable for a portrait, A-ha-ha," the Enigma said. I rolled my eyes, he laughed the same way Epolenep did. _It must run in the family, _I thought.

"How does this work for you?" asked the Enigma, standing with his right hand in his shirt in a pose like Napoleon.

"Work good, work good," said Penelope, putting her thumb up to get perspective... I guess. She began chipping away at the rock. This was my cue to get going.

The plan was for me to locate the computer systems and insert a flash drive to bug the system. In this way, the Enigma would be greatly slowed down. I made my way out of the room with Phineas and Ferb. They came with me in the off-chance I wouldn't know what to do. I had to admit, it was nice working with my boys in the field again.

A few confusing and winding hallways later, we got lost. "Why don't we just ask for directions?" asked Phineas.

"Are you crazy? That would make us stick out so bad..." I paused, noticing someone in a black robe coming.

"You guys lost?" he asked. "There's no shame in being lost in here. I've been working here two weeks and I _still_ get lost. Where do you guys need to go?"

"We need to know where the main computer system is, could you help us find it?" asked Phineas.

"Sure, down this hall, take that first hall on the right. After that, you'll see a hallway chuck full of paintings and sculptures. When you reach the one with the place with the gold plate saying, 'Reserve for My Sheila,' it's on the door to the right of that. I'd be careful though, the computer room is a maze as well, but don't be deceived, the main computer is a straight line down."

"Thanks!" said Phineas, waving as we parted. "And you thought we would stick out." Phineas waved it away with his hand as if he were waving away a fly. "What's wrong?"

"He said he had been here two weeks and he made it sound like he was new," I said.

"So?" asked Phineas.

"So? The Enigma has only been in Europe a week. He invaded the U.K. on the 12th, remember? It's the 18th now... the evening of, but still. I say he planned this or has been planning it for a long time," I said, letting it sink in.

"Wait a minute... didn't you say that Penelope had a heightened sense of awareness? So much so that she could see into the future?" asked Phineas.

"Yeah, but it's not like the Enigma has that... does he?" I shuddered at the thought. _What if he knew what we were planning to do? What if all of this was a trap?_ I shook it away. It's not like one half would get all of the abilities... unless both halves got the abilities or maybe both halves could get half of the abilities. I decided it would be best if I took the chance. "Come on, we came here to put a bug in the Enigma's computers and we're putting a bug in the Enigma's computers."

We ran down the hallways, as it was directed of us, and were able to find the door easily. "I can only imagine what type of portrait he would force on Penelope..." I curled my fist in anger. I then swallowed my anger and disgust and opened the door. _Straight down, then straight back_. This shouldn't be too hard.

We went straight down the room and reached the main computer. It was a massive thing with multiple screens and multiple wires coming out of it. On the chair was a sign that said, "Be back in 10 minutes." I opened my eyes widely in realization.

"This is way too easy. The main computer guy can't just be on a 10 minute break right when we need to bug the computer," I said.

"Come on, Perry, you're overreacting. You said yourself, we came here to put a bug in the system, so we should put a bug in the system," said Phineas.

I looked at him, then at the chair, then back at him again. I knew I had to take the chance. This could very well save Europe as we knew it. "All right, but you two stay hidden. I will _not_ have you get captured," I said. They hid and I ran to the computer.

I moved the mouse, which happened to be a giant ball bigger than my hand, and the screen-saver flicked away to reveal a screen asking for a password. I searched my brain a moment, but found it unneeded since a sticky note hung from the monitor closest to my eye level. It had the password on it. I hesitated. This was a trap, an obvious and big trap, but, like a psychopath, I typed in the password. _All right, I'm in. Put in the flash drive, confirm bug transfer, and get out_. I did so, and still felt the jitters running in my bloodstream. This was _way_ too easy. I didn't need to be an animal with instinct to smell a trap.

The bug was taking a while to upload, making me more nervous. _What if there's a hacker on the other end? I have no experience with hacking, that's Penelope's forte. The only times I ever hacked things were when they were Doof's inventions, and they were always easy to hack since I knew him so well_. Once it finished though, I took the flash drive out and breathed a sigh of relief... right before the alarms began blaring. Red lights flashed and a voice over an intercom said, "INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! BOGIES HAVE BEEN SPOTTED ON THE COMPOUND." I took that as my cue to leave. I took the boys and ran.

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><p><strong>So, what do you guys think? What gave them away I wonder? Will they get captured? What will happen? Please keep reading and reviewing to find out :D<strong>


	15. Chapter 14: Heroes' Square in Hungary

Chapter 14: Heroes' Square in Hungary

Penelope

My fault. It was my fault. I had intended for me to be the only one captured. I wanted Perry and the kids to get away, but apparently it didn't work out that way. We were made to march our way to Hungary. It was the Enigma's plan to have the children executed in the Heroes' Square. The Enigma, of course, was riding a black horse, the symbol of OMEGA. I suppose it was a perfect contrast to ALPHA's white horse.

It was the morning of December 19th as we crossed the border to Hungary. It was at this point, the Enigma decided we were walking too slowly and had us tied to sticks and carried like lambs to a slaughter. Looking at my children I felt so much pain in my heart. I had failed them. I had failed to protect them. I could only imagine how Perry felt about all of this. Yet... isn't this what had to be done? I didn't seem to know anymore. My mind was clouded in a fog that I could only every now and then escape from. It felt like Epolenep was dragging me into the depths of a deep lake. I was only every now and again able to struggle free for a breath of fresh air.

Once we reached the Heroes' Square, I knew it was time to make some decisions. I had learned a trick from the chief, Perry's father, on how to escape ropes rather easily. It was all in how your hands were positioned when they tied you... it was also a matter of how stupid they were. It seems very few know the trick though, since I was easily able to slip free. I knocked out my captors and, quick as a flash, grabbed the Enigma's 009 from his very holster. I pointed it at his head and looked at him with a look I had been taught to give. The look was called the Soul Seer, it was meant to look like a penetrating look and guilt the observer into doing the bidding of the one giving the look.

The Enigma laughed. "Well, well, well, this is certainly a surprise, but not unexpected." He was not the least shaken by what I did.

"So, it's true. You expect things before they happen," I said.

"Of course. I just needed a reasonable excuse before I captured anyone." He paused and smiled his creepy half-smile at me. "But of course, you want them to be freed, don't you?" I only kept my stare in response. "Well, Sheila, I am willing to negotiate... come, it will be best to do it closer to the witnesses." He was referring to the statues in the Heroes' Square. He got off of his horse and I followed him. He put up a hand to indicate to his men to not follow us. I could only hope that I could make the right negotiation.

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><p><span>Perry<span>

"No," I whispered under my breath. I knew Penelope intended to be the sacrificial lamb in place of the children... and me. I couldn't help feeling guilty. I hadn't had a big part in this whole scheme of things... but I felt responsible somehow.

I found myself looking back on all the times Penelope had sacrificed things for us. She had done things she didn't want to do, gone places she didn't want to go. It was only now hitting me how much she truly loved us. I made a promise to myself then that, should we all live through this, I was going to make it up to her... I was going to prove to her how much she mattered to me... how much I loved her.

I watched her and the Enigma make the negotiations. She never let go of the Enigma's gun, but she never shot him. I know why. She felt that if she killed this half of her brother that he would be lost forever. It was times like these I wish I could read lips. They were far enough away that we couldn't hear what they were saying, but close enough that anyone who could read lips could distinguish things.

It probably only took five minutes, but it seemed to take longer to me. I had the longing to be near her and tell her everything would be fine. The longing in my blood to stand between her and the enemy was only growing stronger with each passing second. It was against my instincts to let her go out alone. However, five minutes it must have been, because the Enigma soon came back with Penelope in tow. He had since taken back his gun and approached the group with a smug look upon his face.

Penelope had her head to the ground. The Enigma got behind her, put the gun to her back, and pulled the scruff of her neck with his remaining hand. He was forcing her to look at us... or more specifically, me. "Tell him," said the Enigma.

Her eyes were clouded with tears, but I could still see the emotional violet underneath. It was times like these that made me forget that navy blue was her natural eye color. The Enigma pulled at her hair harder and she cried out. Choking back emotion, she said, "Perry, take the kids and leave here. I never want to see your face again. You only cause me pain everyday. I never wanted to marry you for love. I wanted to marry you for your body. That was all I ever wanted. I wanted to take the innocence of an innocent man and bring him down to my level. Your offspring that I bore are dirt to me. You are _all_ dirt beneath my feet. There is nothing that would make me happier than to never see your faces ever again. Now go! Leave me to the depths of utter darkness. Be gone."

This was the second time she had said something this serious to me. I felt a twinge of pain in my heart as I felt the soldiers release me from my bonds. I tried to rush over to her, but the soldiers held me fast. It took everything in me to not cry out from the emotional pain this was causing my heart.

It was then that I noticed Penelope make a slight twitch of her head. I looked to where she was indicating and noticed the right colonnade. It was the couple of Knowledge and Glory. This made me smile on the inside. This meant that Penelope was not all gone to me. Now, I had a game plan. I would take the kids home, then come back to Europe to end this game. I would play the strongest card worth playing, a card that the Enigma was nowhere near comprehending: True Love.

Once I remembered the analogy of the card in my mind, it reminded me of a conversation I once had with Penelope. I had been playing cards with her, practicing my card-playing skills for the next time I would have to go to a casino for information. She had asked me which cards were her and I in my mind. I told her I considered her to be the Queen of Hearts. She was the most precious and beautiful card, with the most love out of them all. I, in my mind, was nothing more than the Jack of Hearts. I was nowhere near king status, nor did I want to be. She had laughed at that and said she liked the scandal of being with someone lower in the court, to which I laughed. It's funny how when you are put near the end of your days with your companion that you start to remember all the times you had with them. This only re-affirmed the promise in my mind. _'Till death do we part, my dearest, 'till death do we part_. This was one promise I intended to keep.

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><p><strong>I hope you guys thought this chapter was okay. Near the end I didn't save soon enough, which resulted in me having to type up the same thing three times. Which, as you guys know, often the first work is better than the second or third. Oh well, I got it written and I think it's pretty cool. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :) <strong>

**Also, I have a forum going about the series. It's called: The Agents Series. Feel free to check it out!**


	16. Chapter 15: Slovakian Cuisine

Chapter 15: Slovakian Cuisine

Penelope

I was being led off in chains. They had me tied so tight I could scarcely feel anything in my mid-section. After a while, they put me into a sack, which they threw into a trunk. I could scarcely breathe. I knew I was being carried by two people though, based on the jostling. All I knew was that we were heading to a base in the north. I wasn't sure where we would wind up, but I knew that I couldn't hope for safety. I had come into this game knowing how dangerous it would be... I knew not to expect anything less than difficulty. I knew it would probably take a while though, since they were on foot. So, this being in mind, I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I was in an entirely different position than when I went to sleep. It was pitch black and I could feel my wrists, mid-section, ankles, and tail tied to a chair. It was a metal chair. I hopped the chair to test the acoustics of the room, to see what type of echo I would receive. The sound that met my ears was the sound of concrete below my feet. Also, even by the brief sound, I was able to tell that there was something big in front of me, possibly a table. It was then that I reached my epiphany... I didn't need to use my ears to see my surroundings.

A platypus has the ability of electro-location. I could sense the differences between animate and inanimate objects by detecting the electrical currents. Usually, this was used when hunting. The muscular contractions of the prey would give off these signals. That being said, I closed my eyes, ears, and nostrils and began feeling around in the darkness. There _was_ a table in front of me. There was also... _what is that?_

The light above me turned on and there was the table. On it was the source of the peculiar smell. I looked at it and sniffed at it, but I couldn't get very close to it. Then, the door opened. It was the Enigma. He smiled at me as he closed the door and took a seat in front of me. He took a spoon from a pocket in his uniform. He then began partaking of his meal. "This is called Kapustnica, have you ever heard of it?" he asked.

"It is a food of Slovakia. It is a soup made from sauerkraut and sausages," I replied.

"Very good, Sheila." He took another spoonful and slurped it noisily. "You'll forgive my slurping, I'm practicing for when I take over Asia. I'm only a few countries away from having all of Europe. There's Poland, Ukraine, Drusselstein, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, and Greece." He counted on his fingers. "That's nine countries, Sheila. Before then, I intend to put you back where you belong... in a prison."

I laughed at him. "You amuse me, Enigma. One moment you say you want my body and want me to have your children and in the next breath you say that you will kill me."

"Perhaps you don't understand that I intend to do both. I must first put you in the time-out corner to make sure you don't stop me from taking over the world. Then, once I have the world, you will become my wife, have my children, have my _heirs, _then I will kill you with your bloke watching. I will kill you slowly, painfully, I will savor each and every moment. Then, just as you are on your last breaths, I will do the same to your husband. You will watch each other die. _This_ is my plan."

"So, why are you eating? Is this intimidation? A sign of what is to come? Are you intending on starving me in my captivity?"

"I have no qualms about letting you suffer a little. It is out of my fascination for you that you suffer."

"Fascination?"

"Yes. You see, you defy me, yet at the same time, you won't do what you need to do to be rid of me. You'll spew both hatred and kindness from your mouth like vomit mixed with blood. You are truly a two-faced woman, Sheila."

"Frankly, Enigma, I don't care what you do anymore."

"This is beginning to sound like you are in the depression stage... how odd it is that _you_ should be experiencing the symptoms of death when you told your bloke that it would be him. Perhaps _you_ intend to take his place... if there was any place at all. You knew it was going to be you the whole time, yet you tell him it would be him, why?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I know many things, Sheila, but I observe you didn't answer my question."

"You bugged the house."

"Perhaps I did and perhaps I didn't, now answer!"

"Answer me first!"

"Yes... now, your turn."

"Yes, I saw myself dying. I know now as much as I will know in the future that I am the next best target. Epolenep hates me. She hates that I, as her counterpart, am so inclined to be good. It is logical then that I could take Perry's place. She wants to kill both of us and indeed, one of us will die."

"Are you willing to make that big of a sacrifice for him? Hmm? Do you really think he cares about you?" I stared at him. He was trying to push my buttons. I was determined to not let him win. The Enigma continued. "I know for a fact that he _doesn't_. As soon as you die, he will choose another. He's a player. You watch, your spirit will wander the Earth and you will see him with another woman. Do you not believe this to be true?"

"I do not. There is nothing you can say that will sway me."

"What about something _I_ saw? Hmm? You believe I can see into the future as well, do you not?"

"I do have a good reason or two to believe that you do, yes."

"Then, it may not be all that difficult to believe that I saw something."

"Oh? Do tell." This would be interesting. There was nothing that could surprise me at this point. He and I had probably seen the same things anyway. What could he possibly throw into my lap?

"I saw my men painted in white, like the savages back home. I saw your men painted in red, like the chief of the village back home. I saw great clouds of smoke, thunder and lightning. I saw your daughter, Rosalynn, captured by your guys. She was tied to a stake and was going to be executed at dawn. Your bloke was painted like the chief and wore chief's clothing. My counterpart was acting as the painter. He was painting faces. I was leading my men with tanks, guns, and swords. Your bloke was leading his men with bows, arrows, swords, and catapults. There was a loud drumming from both sides. They had drums with hides and we had drums like percussion drums for marching. I rode a black horse. There was a great pointed rock that separated us from them. It was on this rock that your daughter was going to be executed." He laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I saw someone else you might know. Your son wore white paint and was with us against your people." I opened my eyes wide in shock. This was a bomb I had not expected would be dropped. It was so impossible, yet... it correlated with bits and pieces of the future I had seen. I just never saw my son as being one with white paint. "You know this to be true, don't you? _This_ bothers you." The Enigma laughed and I lunged for him. I didn't get far though before he took matters into his own hands. One of the last hopes I had for a good future: gone. The Enigma put a cloth to my nostrils and shut my beak with his other hand. It was chloroform. I had to fight... had to fight... had... to... fight.

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><p><strong>Well. That was something. Fact: Platypuses <em>do<em> have electro-location, which I thought was fairly cool. The show should seriously touch on that point. If you want to find out what happens next, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	17. Chapter 16: Auschwitz Reborn

Chapter 16: Auschwitz Reborn

Penelope

I woke up to an overwhelming stench. I looked around and noticed I was on a bunk. I looked around some more and discovered, to my great horror, that I was in a concentration camp's barracks.

There was a human man above me muttering in Polish. My Polish was very limited, but I knew enough to survive, and if not, I could just turn on the translator function on my translator. However, when I reached toward my neck for it, it was gone. _Well, I guess it's back to chattering for me,_ I thought. That meant that even if I knew the right words in Polish, it would all come out in animal speak and my upper bunk-mate would not understand me. I looked around and noticed a red fox next to me and asked if she spoke English, or at least English as animals knew it.

"_Yes, I can speak English. Where are you from?_" she asked.

"_America, on the longest term basis, you?_" I asked.

"_I am from the countryside of Poland. What is an American doing here?_"

"_I might be able to answer better if I knew where 'here' was._"

"_You mean to say that you don't know?_"

"_What?_"

"_This is Auschwitz. A bad man, who goes by the name of The Enigma, has brought it back. He is going to use this and other camps to punish those who are unfaithful to his cause._"

"_How long has it been here?_" I asked after a pause.

"_There has been rumor for some time. I had heard that it was broken into... but I never thought this would happen. I have had family die here._"

"_I am sorry._"

"_What is there to be sorry for? Sorry doesn't bring them back._"

"_Do you know what day it is?_"

"_Yes, it is December 21st... is something wrong?_"

"_I'm fine... I just... today is a holiday for me and my family and my family is not here. Thank the spirits they are not here though. I do not even wish to begin fathoming the horrors the Enigma has in mind for us._" I curled up in my bunk, back to the fox. It was then I decided something. I turned back around. "_What's your name?_"

"_Nadya, yours?_"

"_Penelope._" I knew then that things might not be so bad. Sure, it was a concentration camp from the deepest depths of the Cavern of Eternal Suffering, but it would be better now that I had an ally.

* * *

><p><span>Perry<span>

I took the kids home and told them I wouldn't be around for the Winter Festival. I told my boys to give my kids the best Winter Festival they could though. I intended to be home before Christmas. This was just more important to me. I knew my family would be safe in America, safer than they would be if they had continued following me in Europe. The Enigma was not the type of man to mess with.

After leaving the kids in America, I was on my flight back to Europe, courtesy of some nice Ukrainians. I began another video journal. "Well, here I am. I'm exhausted, both physically and mentally with this whole thing. The Ukrainians say that it would not be a good idea to go into Poland right now since a lot of stuff is going down. So, they are taking me to their country. It is this big country that neighbors Russia and at this time of year, it is very cold. They are taking me to their capital, Kiev, and that happens to be the only place on the country's map that I can pronounce, so that's good. I hope I can find Penelope. She's all I have... I mean, I have a family back home and kids, but she's more than family to me. It's kind of hard to explain. She is... I don't know what she is to me. She's very close to me and I feel sometimes as if we were connected. So, here I am... chasing after a mad man in Europe in no man's winter... trying to get my wife back. Of course, I still can't think of the word that fully describes what she is to me." I sighed, said a farewell, and turned off the camera. There was going to be a long amount of time between now and year's end.

After a little while, we landed in Ukraine. I got out in my winter gear and surveyed the area. It was refreshing to see an area that was still intact and not ravaged by the Enigma. The Ukrainians led me to a building that was fairly small in size, like a motel. They made a point of making me go in first. My instincts told me there was trouble brewing, but I didn't listen to them. After all, these guys had on ALPHA symbols, so they were all right. Right? As I went in though, I saw a pack of OMEGA agents and before I could even think the word "Wrong," I got knocked out.

I woke up later to hear a sobbing noise beside me. I turned and noticed both to my great joy and great sadness that it was Penelope, my wife. She had her back to me and I noticed that her back had multiple wounds, both open and bleeding ones and dried scabs. I put a hand to her shoulder and she jumped. She wriggled around to face me and I saw her violet eyes mixed with the red that comes from crying. "_Oh, Perry,_" she said, seizing me in her arms and kissing me. She forced herself on me, as if in a desperate effort to keep me in place.

"_Pen... what did they do to you?_" I asked, stroking her back gingerly. I noticed my voice was coming out as chattering. My translator had been stolen.

"_It's a concentration camp, Pear, they do what they want to me._" I must have given a look because she said almost immediately after that, "_They didn't invade me, if that's what you're wondering._"

I hugged her close and kissed her neck several times. I had her in my arms, _right there_. "_I've missed you so much,_" I told her.

"_I've missed you too, Perry, very much._" We parted and she looked at me, she seemed both happy and sad that I was there.

"_You're afraid for me, aren't you?_" I asked. She sobbed as her response. I held her and hushed her. "_It's going to be all right, everything's going to be okay._"

"_Perry, we need to get out of here. I'm terrified. They do so many cruel things here, I..._" She cut short her sentence by sobbing again.

"_Then that's what we'll do._" I felt the same determination for this task that I did for my job and for making Penelope happy.

"_How? There's an electrified fence and guards with guns... and... I can't leave without my friend._" She sat up, as best as she could, and I saw a red fox laying in the bunk next to ours. "_That's Nadya and she has helped me out more than once today and I her... I owe her._"

"_Then we'll all escape. Just go to sleep and I'll come up with a plan._" She nodded and turned her back to me. My fedora was stolen also, so I couldn't patch her wounds. So, I did what any other animal would do in that situation: I held her protectively until morning.

Morning of December 22nd wasn't long in coming. I jolted awake as some man with a gun and a uniform came into the barracks to wake us all up. Penelope's wounds had since healed, but it was apparent that she was very weak. I happened to turn to the side and noticed Nadya with my fedora in her hands. She was trying to find a way to give it to me without drawing attention to it. However, the officer noticed it.

"What do you think you are doing? Workers are not allowed personal articles of clothing or such things! You, number 622, have crossed the line!" said the soldier. He roughly grabbed her, but Penelope went into action. Before I could stop her, she began tugging at the guard's arm, trying to get him to let go.

"We are not numbers, you tick!" exclaimed Penelope. The guard shook her off, and looked at her savagely. It was then that Nadya bit the guard's leg until it bled. The guard yelled and blew a whistle around his neck. Other guards came in and seized Nadya. Before anyone could do anything else, we were all led out at gunpoint to the main yard, where it was snowing softly.

The soldiers took Nadya to a platform with ropes on it. The one who had gotten bit said several sentences in several different languages before he came to English. "This little troublemaker will now face the punishment for hiding personal articles of clothing and for assaulting a member of the Fourth Reich! For these reasons, she is to be hung by the neck until dead!" Penelope gasped and I held her. I knew if I didn't, she might get in trouble too. We had to make our escape fast. The soldier took the struggling Nadya and put the rope around her neck and tied it tight. He also tied her hands behind her back so that she couldn't grab the rope to prevent her death. Then, the trapdoor was opened and well... it wasn't a pretty sight. As soon as it happened, Penelope turned her back on the scene and sobbed into my fur. This was my chance.

I picked up Penelope and ran forward, much to the dislike of the guards, and grabbed my fedora, which had fallen from Nadya's grasp. I put it on my head and hoped beyond hope that Penelope had the invisibility device still imbedded in my hat. Luck would have it, it was still there. Using the device, I was able to disappear from sight, but then I noticed to my dismay that I was now floating off of the ground like a ghost. It was good for this situation, but not good to feel it. It was at that point that I ran. Before I could be stopped by bullet or guard, I had disabled the fence, climbed it, and escaped. I ran, for I don't know how long, until I saw the sign that said, "You are now entering Drusselstein."

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><p><strong>Sorry if this chapter was a little bit much, but just in case you guys didn't get it before: The Enigma's evil. In this story, Drusselstein is right between the Ukraine and Belarus. Ukraine to its south and Belarus to its north, it's a small strip of land that I've picked out there that just so happens to be a straight line. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks.<strong>


	18. 17 Drusselstein Driving Test Waltz Redux

**Hey guys! I came up with the idea that people are probably really tense right now due to the last chapter, so in this one I intend to make you a little happier. I think the title will say it all, enjoy :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 17: Drusselstein Driving Test Waltz Redux<span>

Penelope

When I woke up, I felt intensely sore on my back. I reached a hand behind me and felt the stitches in my wounds. I looked around the room and recognized it as being Drusselstinian. I saw Perry dressed in the clothes of the country, his hat even had a Drusselstinian touch to it. I got up and carefully went over to him. I touched his shoulder and he jumped. "Sorry about that," I said.

"It's fine, Pen. I was just lost in thought, that's all," he replied.

"Where'd you get the new wardrobe?" I asked, looking him up and down.

"The O.W.C.A. has a base here and I was able to get these from there. I was also able to get some help from Vanessa, my nemesis' daughter. She should be returning soon... she wanted me to help her find her dad."

"You wouldn't happen to have any clothes for me, would you?"

"Actually, I do." He turned to the side and picked up a dress from a chair. _Yep, that's Drusselstinian all right_, I thought, looking it over. I put it on, gingerly, and I twirled around in it.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

He chuckled a bit, "You _know_ what I think, Pen." He smiled and kissed me. It was then that I realized something.

"I suppose you got translators from the O.W.C.A. base as well?"

"Nah, they were in my hat the whole time. I put yours on you while you were sleeping."

"I suppose you patched me up while I was sleeping as well?"

"I could have done more if you had wanted me to."

I laughed a little and kissed him. I held onto his neck, not wanting to let go. When the door opened, I jolted a little in surprise.

"Hey, Perry," said the one who had entered the room. It turned out to be Vanessa. I remembered her from the summer when she visited her dad in the hospital. _Oh no, her dad! I have to tell them the truth!_

"Um, you guys, there's something I have to confess..." I began.

"Come on, Pen, whatever you have to say, I'm sure it can wait for later," said Perry, nonchalantly. I think he couldn't take any more bad news from me.

I darted my eyes around, trying to find a way to get him to listen to me. "Do we have transportation?" I asked.

"Yeah... there's a car outside, why?" asked Perry.

"I was just wondering..." I smiled at my new plan. "...if I could drive."

"Sure, why not?" Perry knew I had my license. What he didn't know though, was that I had my license in another area of driving as well. I smiled again at the thought.

When we got in the car and were sufficiently buckled, I went with a hunch of mine. _It's time for my dream to come true_. I smiled and drove toward a rather good-sized mountain that I knew was used for driving tests in Drusselstein. (I knew since I had a driving test done here.)

Once I reached the top, I glanced over at Perry in the shotgun place. He seemed to be rather nervous about our current place. "What are we doing here?" he asked, messing with his seatbelt.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to find Vanessa's dad. According to a dream I had recently, this will be just the thing."

"Are you... sure about this?" I knew he was swallowing the word "crazy," probably due to how bad I reacted with it last time.

"We'll be fine, I've done this before..." I noticed Perry relax a little, but I decided to add: "...once." He tensed up again and began buckling himself in some more. I put the car in reverse, to make sure we had a good "running start."

"Pen, how is this going to help us find Doofenshmirtz?" asked Perry.

"You'll see..." I rolled down the window and noticed a goat grazing on some straw. "...hey, goat! Your mother was a sheep!" I noticed Perry's reaction and I laughed. _This was definitely going to be fun_. Like I thought he would do, the goat charged at the car and launched us over the edge of the mountain at high-speed. As we were in the air, I turned on the radio and a local song, "The Drusselstein Driving Test Waltz," began playing. I hummed along with it as I maneuvered my way down the mountain.

The car was bouncing like crazy and it filled me with such a rush of adrenaline, the likes of which I hadn't felt in a long time. My heart was racing and my hands were performing lightning quick movements at the wheel. It was indeed almost like a dance. I was reaching the point soon. I began whooping in utter glee. I had reached acceptance. I didn't really care when or where I died, so long as Perry was right by my side. Now, don't get me wrong, suicide wasn't my _plan_, but here in a few seconds it sure would look like it. _There's the turn, now let's see what will happen, happen._ I let go of the wheel and threw my hands in the air. It was all up to fate now.

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><p><span>Perry<span>

Perhaps if I hadn't previously had this traumatizing experience, I would not have cared so much. Every turn Penelope made was each a master stroke. It was as if she knew every turn by heart. I looked over at her several times during the ride and every time I did, her eyes were a shining violet. _She's enjoying this... it's too bad I can't bring myself to do the same_. The car's jolting, sharp turns, and braking all made me want to throw up. _I'd like to see anyone else in the O.W.C.A. take this ride and not flinch. Then, and only then, would I find my bravery_.

When she began whooping aloud, it occurred to me that perhaps she _was_ going crazy. She was laughing as if she was on the most thrilling ride of her life. I began relaxing, but only slightly. I still couldn't help but wonder how this was going to help us find Doofenshmirtz.

Then, my heart nearly skipped a beat. She let go of the wheel, threw her hands in the air, and closed her eyes. _Oh no, you don't. I'm not putting our lives at risk._ I grabbed the wheel and turned it away from the incoming wall just in the nick of time. When I did, we hit, who would have guessed, the Minotaur.

I jumped into Penelope's seat and took over the controls. I veered left and right, trying to get the creature off the hood of the car. Then, it looked as if it was about to fall off. I smiled and sped up. The creature howled in protest and it was then that I noticed its eyes weren't a soulless black, but a bright blue.

I sensed something behind me and noticed Penelope had reached around me and was taking over the controls again. She braked and turned the car fast to the right, putting the creature on our left. The wheels of the car squealed loudly and I saw smoke coming from them. Vanessa was screaming in the back and I was in a panic again. _We're gonna crash!_ I tried fighting for control again, but it wasn't working. Second by second, we veered more and more to our left, still braking. I happened to look at where we were going and noticed we were heading for a cliff. _I have to get control back, I have to do something!_

Penelope reached her legs around and pinned my arms back. She used her tail to pin down the rest of me and forced one of my feet to stay on the brake. I had to admit, despite everything, she was still very strong. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the dark void of death, something I imagined would be coming soon... but it never came.

The car stopped and Penelope let me go. She got out of the car by rolling down the driver's window and hopping out. The Minotaur lay on the ground nearby, dazed. I noticed Penelope heading for it and I hopped out the window as well, trying to stop her. I held her back just as the monster shakily stood up. I looked at it in horror. I had to get us out of here before anything worse happened. I looked at the car and noticed the wheels were completely gone. All that friction must have burned them off.

_Okay, Perry, decision time. I need to get us all out of here before the Minotaur recognizes us and tries to take Penelope hostage again. The car is no good and running would only make the creature more angry. What do I do? What do I do?_ Penelope slipped a dagger into one of my hands. _Of course! If I kill it, then we will be able to escape better_.

"Cut it from throat to stomach, make sure the cut is wide. That will kill the creature. Anything else won't work," said Penelope.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Just trust me."

"Then get in the car and let me do this." Penelope nodded.

Once she was safe, I charged at the still-dazed creature and stabbed its throat. It fell and I began making the vertical cut downwards and stopped at the stomach, just like Penelope advised. The creature went still and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Penelope came behind me and took my fedora from my head. "What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Come on, be in here..." she said quietly, not answering me. She then pulled out a small brown bag and said, "Aha!" victoriously. She pulled out what appeared to be incense from the bag and sprinkled it all over the Minotaur's wound. She got on its chest and rubbed it in, as if putting a rub on meat... which, I guess was a lot like what she was doing. She began muttering something in our native language and began tearing more into it.

"Pen, what are you doing?" I asked. She hushed me harshly and I went quiet. Whatever she was doing, she thought it was necessary... and needed silence to do it.

She continued what she was doing. She then got off the creature and broke off the horns, as if they were never attached at all. She pulled off the tail and broke off the hooves. She began muttering in our native language again as the blood flowed out of the creature. She stood next to me and hummed. Vanessa came behind us and stood there. She seemed to be as grossed out at this as I was.

As the blood continued to flow out, I noticed the sky grow dark. I put an arm around Penelope and tried to make her follow, but she just hushed me again. She pointed at the creature and looked at me with a "Watch this" gleam in her eyes. I turned back to the creature and did indeed watch. The sight that came next astounded me and will be something I will never forget.

Lights came down from the heavens, all different colors. They came down from the sky like streamers. I could not see the top of them, but I could see the end of them. They grabbed the Minotaur by its arms, legs, and back. "Vanessa, go get the blanket from the trunk," Penelope whispered. Vanessa complied, still keeping an eye on what was going on. She returned and handed the blanket to Penelope. "You may want to cover your eyes for this next part, for decency's sake."

"What's happening to it?" asked Vanessa quietly, while covering her eyes. I don't think she wanted to miss it, but I also think that there was something about Penelope's demeanor that made not just her, but me also, want to obey her.

The lights turned to us and Penelope hushed us both harshly. The lights continued lifting the Minotaur and lifted it a good way off the ground, perhaps 20 feet. The lights surrounded it and began turning it. It reminded me greatly of a movie I had seen once. I continued watching it and noticed the form got smaller and began looking more human. I squinted my eyes at the bright light and continued watching. _Oh my..._

"That's what I wanted to tell you... the Minotaur _was_ Doofenshmirtz all along," Penelope whispered as the lights brought the figure of my nemesis down. She quickly threw a blanket over him, to cover his _indecency_ and blew a kiss to the heavens. The lights swirled around like smoke and turned around Vanessa, Penelope, and myself a little before going back up into the sky. It was quick, but it was like a comforting hug, something I wished lasted longer than it did.

Doof groaned from under the blanket. He grabbed it, wrapped it around himself, and shakily stood up. He rubbed his head with his free hand and asked, "What did I miss?" in a groggy voice.

"Dad!" Vanessa rushed forward and hugged her father. He looked shocked, but hugged her back nonetheless. Penelope put her head on my shoulder and grabbed my hand. She sighed blissfully. I rubbed her back carefully and kissed her head. _This is definitely one "big fish" story no one back home will ever believe._ Penelope went to the trunk and pulled out four spare tires, as well as the necessary equipment for replacing the tires.

"Those were in there the whole time?!" I asked.

"Hey, if you knew these were here, would you have done what you've done? I mean, look at them, Perry. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this opportunity for the world." She continued reaching into the trunk and found something else I hadn't known was in there. _Was there a secret compartment or something?_ I thought. "Doofenshmirtz, here, you'll need these." Penelope threw some clothes at my nemesis and he blushed sheepishly. While he went to change behind a clump of rocks nearby, I set to work replacing the tires.

Once the tires were replaced and everyone was seated in the car again, Penelope drove us out from where we were at. _I wonder if it was a good idea to let her drive again._ I thought this as the car made its way back. I soon realized that she intended to do another "running start" with the car. I looked behind us in the mirror next to me. "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" took on a whole new meaning for me when I saw another goat in the mirror and heard Penelope insult the goat's mother again. I braced myself and soon, we were off again. I made another promise to myself. _Someday, I'm going to give Penelope and Doof some payback for putting me through this... should we be lucky enough to live_.

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><p><strong>This chapter made me smile a little. Obviously, I do not own "Drusselstein Driving Test Waltz," that's Disney's material and I have no right to it. Am I the only one who laughs every time the song ends and Doof is all like: "I think I did okay," and Perry is beside him, hands on the dash and shaking in fear? Anyway, after a dark chapter like the last one, I thought you guys could use something more... soft. I think this was a cool and intense chapter. What do you guys think? Please keep reading and reviewing, 'cause I'm not through yet. Thanks :)<strong>


	19. Chapter 18: Belarusian Scrap-Yard

Chapter 18: Belarusian Scrap-Yard

Penelope

The snow blew hard into our faces. We couldn't take the car over the border and Doofenshmirtz had since gone to take his daughter home to the states. It was December 22nd. We had missed the Winter Festival. I was cold and hungry... but at least I was with Perry again. He had his arm around me, trying to keep me warm.

"Perry... we need to find shelter soon. I don't feel well," I said over the wind to him.

"It's going to be all right, Pen. We'll find someplace to stay soon," Perry replied.

After a long time of walking later, I collapsed. "Come on, Pen. We need to keep moving," said Perry, kneeling by my side.

"What does it matter, Perry? There are only six countries left that the Enigma doesn't own... that we know of. The more we move against him, the more he moves forward." I panted in exhaustion.

"Pen..." Perry looked up and squinted into the distance. "I see something... it might be something that could shelter us from this storm." He picked me up bridal style and ran over to his target in the distance.

It turned out that it was an overturned tractor. It looked as if it had sat there a while. Half of its parts were gone, but it was hollow, and a good shelter from the storm. He and I shivered as we moved further into the bowels of the old tractor. "Are we in Belarus?" I asked.

Perry took out the G.P.S. device, but it didn't seem he was getting anywhere with it. He hit the side of it several times in frustration. "I'm not sure. The signal is worse here than it's ever been." He smacked it a few more times with his hand before putting it back into his hat.

"Oh, look! This _is_ a Belarusian tractor. We must be in a scrap-yard. I heard Belarus recently had trouble with over-producing. This must be one of the extra tractors left here to rot... Perry?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to go home and see my kids again... I want to be home for Christmas."

"We _will_ be, sweetheart." He hugged me and put my body against his for warmth. Though the wind blew fiercely outside, I never could have found warmer or safer shelter than I did in Perry's arms. I snuggled deeper into his fur, earning a chuckle from Perry. "What?"

"I was just thinking, that's all." He had a far-off look that made me feel sad. I still hadn't told him that it was most likely going to be _me_ that was going to die. He must be bearing the burden of death. I didn't like seeing this in him.

"You know what this kind of reminds me of?" I asked, wanting to make the mood lighter.

"What?"

"It reminds me of those times we would tell each other secrets in the log back home."

"Oh, yeah... I doubt we have very many more secrets left to share between us though."

"No harm in trying to pass the time until the storm passes."

"All right..." He extended his right hand to mine and we got our thumbs ready.

"Do you remember how to play?"

"Yes... I do." He looked at me with his cocoa brown eyes. They looked deeper than they typically did. It excited me. We moved our thumbs back and forth. It seemed we both remembered the rhyme we used to start the game. _Thumb fight, thumb fight, who's gonna win the thumb fight?_

Our thumbs flew back and forth. It was all we could do to keep our hands straight. He was doing much better than he would have done as a kid. It made me have to try harder. Eventually though, someone must win. Perry pinned my thumb. "Well... took you long enough," I replied.

"You didn't let me win, did you?"

"No." That was the truth.

"So...?"

What to tell the platypus who knows everything about you? _Well, one of us is going to die anyway. I might as well die with all of my secrets dissolved._ "Perry... I lied about who was going to die." He looked at me.

"I figured that... but you had a sense of conviction in your eyes when you said it. It was the only thing making me believe you."

"Well... you definitely are in the same place as I am. Perry, don't be mad, but I told you that you would die since I thought it would be easier for you to take than the truth."

"Which is?"

"That _I_ am the next best target... that _I_ will die by evil hands."

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><p><span>Perry<span>

At first, I didn't know what to say. Then, when I thought about it, it was obvious in retrospect. "Why didn't you tell me? You thought it would be easier for me to take?" She nodded and I held her hands in mine. "Pen... Penelope, look at me." When she did, her eyes were shining from unshed tears, the navy blue fading to the violet color that I loved so much in her. "We're in this together. Do you understand me?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked, her eyes wide in alarm.

"I'd do anything for you, Penelope, you know that."

"Perry... I couldn't ask that of you, and I won't."

"You don't have to. You know I would undergo Protocol M-2 in a heartbeat if it meant that I could stay with you."

"Perry... as your superior, I order you not to do that."

"Pen..." I gave her the eyes that I knew she liked best in me. "...you cannot resist my pleading eyes." She giggled and pushed me away.

"_Perry_..." She looked at me with what I had come to call her "mother look." She would perk up an eyebrow and look down her beak at me with a "Really?" glance. She would also sometimes have her hands at her hips. She did this now and it only made me laugh. "Oh, so you think I'm funny, do you? Well, how about this?" She launched at me and immediately began tickling me. I laughed and fell on my back. After a little bit, she stopped tickling me and she stayed above me, hands on either side of me. She gazed into my eyes and I smiled. "I want you to make sure, no matter what happens, that the kids remember none of what has transpired here in Europe. After their memories are wiped, you will take care of them and make sure they learn right from wrong. I know you'll do great. You're such a good father to them already." She nuzzled her beak with mine. This flirtatious action made me flip her over onto her back so that I was on top. I grinned at her and she giggled again.

It was then that I leaned forward and began smelling her neck. "You're wearing that fragrance I like," I told her.

"Perry, I'm not wearing anything, that's all me you're smelling."

"You had _me_ fooled," I whispered into her ear. I chattered lowly, causing her to shiver. She loved it when I chattered this close to her. It was better than sharing a secret. I kissed her neck gently, then I repeated this action several times. I then made my way up to her face and kissed her bill several times before leaning in closer for a deeper kiss. After a few minutes of tasting each other's mouths out of love, I leaned in close to her and turned her away from the outside. I hugged her close, keeping her warm in the cold weather. She turned to me and looked into my eyes. She snuggled as close as she could to me, but I knew she could get closer, so I hugged her tighter.

"I don't want to have to leave you... but one of us must."

Deciding it would be best to avoid any more sad thoughts, I pulled away enough so that I was still close to her, but she could see what I was doing. I took off my fedora and pulled out a wrapped box. I put my hat back on and extended the small package to her. "I know it's kind of early, but I think this Christmas present shouldn't have to wait." She opened it, and when she saw what was inside, she gasped.

"It's beautiful, Perry, thank you."

"I have one just like it." I pulled a similar object from my hat. I had asked Phillip to make watches for us since I knew Penelope had a thing for old-time watches.

It was a typical day and Lawrence Fletcher, Ferb's dad, had brought home an antique watch to repair it. Phillip had just so happened to be over there and had expressed his enthusiasm with watches and boasted he could make one as well. I remember the look in Penelope's eyes when she saw the watch. When I had asked her about it at the time, she had just said, " 'I was just thinking about how many times, back in the day, men would carry pictures of loved ones in their watches.' " That was all she said about the subject, but I knew from her eyes that she liked the watch very much.

Naturally, I had to test Phillip's boast. He certainly was true to his word. He made two identical silver watches for Penelope and myself. He had even taken the time to insert pictures of our family in both watches. He had also added our initials in fancy script on the back of both watches. Of course, both watches said, "P.F." but I was glad to even have them.

Seeing Penelope with the watch in her hand now, I could tell she liked the gift very much. She and I were still wearing Drusselstinian clothing, so she put it in a breast pocket on the dress that was typically used by poor Drusselstinian women to hoard food. I put mine back in my fedora and she hugged me tightly. She leaned up and said, "I feel like we could keep going, how about you?"

"I'm game if you are, Pen." We both smiled at each other and went back out into the cold. We kept walking, for quite some time. Eventually though, all borders must make themselves known. We crossed the border to Lithuania just as night was coming.

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><p><strong>Sorry if this chapter seemed a little slow in comparison to earlier chapters, but I thought it was pretty cute. I will also apologize again if I have offended any Europeans. I found out Belarus had recently had problems with over-production, so, that's fact. If it seems like I'm making a jab, it most certainly is not on purpose. A little fun fact: Back in the first book, I mentioned Protocol P-1. The P stands for the word "Protect." Now, I have mentioned another protocol: Protocol M-2. M stands for "Mercy." I'll let you guys theorize as to what that could possibly mean. I have big plans ahead, so please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	20. Chapter 19: Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

Chapter 19: Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

Penelope

It was December 23rd. We had taken a while of walking through the night before and most of the morning, so it was mid-day now. The G.P.S. had started beeping insistently as we headed north. I told Perry it might be a good idea to follow it. I had programmed the G.P.S. to not only track location and the territories that were quickly becoming OMEGA land, but also to track anomalies in space/time.

Greece no longer had its monster on Crete, so it quickly became OMEGA land. That left Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia. I don't think any time in history had a person who ever owned this much land. It was too much power for one person... even if that person was purely evil like the Enigma.

As we got closer and the beeping of the G.P.S. grew more insistent, I looked up and gasped at the sight before me. The snow was falling softly and the sky was a light shade of gray, the perfect definition for a gloomy day. We were right in front of the Hill of Crosses. I felt a sense of anxiety flood over me. There was so much here. I didn't need the G.P.S. to tell me that.

I held Perry back and pointed at the hill. He looked, and though I didn't say a word, I think he understood what I was trying to say. We went through the gate, and as we did, it gave a loud squeak. I immediately began feeling a sense of dread wash over me. This was supposed to be a place of peace, what with all the crosses and saints. There was something there though, something lurking, something hidden.

Perry closed the gate and he took my hand in his free right hand, his left hand still holding the G.P.S. I didn't bother making a sound, I felt so scared and I didn't know why. We were the only ones there, that was probably one reason why. Another reason was probably the weather. Another reason was probably because this place reminded me so much of a grave yard and it scared me. I never, not then and not now, got over the fact that my parents and Perry's were never properly buried. I would have nightmares of their ghosts haunting me.

I shook myself from my dark thoughts as the beeping reached its peak. The anomaly was right in front of us. I shook harder than before. I think if even something harmless popped out, I would scream. Instead, Perry took me forward and bent down in the snow. He picked up the source of the G.P.S.'s constant freaking. It was a silver scale... and it was bigger than his hand. I knew I had seen this scale once before... in a dream. I yanked the scale out of his hand and threw it in the direction of the front gate. I pulled Perry close and shook all the more. We were getting closer to the end and that scale only proved it.

"Easy, Pen, it's going to be okay," Perry said. The sense of conviction in his voice wasn't there like it usually was though.

"I know when you're lying to me, Perry," I said.

"Just tell me what's got you so nervous."

"That scale... I have seen that scale only once before... it was during my day premonition all those days ago back home. Whoever has that scale will end me." I was shaking in fear, I had accepted the fact that I was going to die soon, but I hadn't accepted _how_ I was going to die. It seemed impossible, unreal, yet there was the proof.

"Maybe not..." Perry began, but I interrupted him.

"No, Perry! You don't understand! There is no escaping this! There is no escaping what will come! The events to come will only culminate toward that end! That end which I fear neither of us will ever come back from..." I began crying. This was all too much.

Perry hugged me close and I became aware that he had pulled something from off of my body. I looked toward the hand that wasn't around me. He was holding my dagger. He looked at it sadly and in a far-off way. I knew what he was thinking. "Perry, no! What about the kids? They need someone to live for!"

"What's the point in living for someone when the other is gone?" He looked at me with eyes that I knew well. He was going to make a choice that he wasn't going to walk away from.

"Neither of us have it in the other to go through with it."

"Penelope, look at me..." I looked at him and his eyes were shining and tears were beginning to fall. "...neither of us could be without the other at this point. Think about it."

"The kids couldn't be without one of us either, Perry, but one of us must die... and the other must live for them. Think about _that_, Perry."

Perry's eyes weren't holding back tears anymore, but he certainly wasn't sobbing when he next spoke. "What's the point in one of us living for the kids when they are a constant reminder of us? Think about it: Rosalynn has navy blue eyes just like yours and Max has brown eyes just like mine... they are practically our mirrors in miniature."

"You noticed that too, huh?"

"There's not much that escapes my notice, Pen."

"But, to go under Protocol M-2? What do you think the kids would do without us?"

"I suppose the boys would... take care of them." I noticed his voice break a little when he mentioned his boys. I decided to use that for my argument.

"And what about them? What would _they_ do without you?"

"We could ask Phillip to erase their minds, all of them. My boys would be under the illusion that they had baby platypuses to care for and that they weren't kids of platypuses that were dead. They would never know."

"Perry, no matter which way you argue it, I'm not going to do it... and I can't let you do it either."

"What do you expect me to do?! Sit on the sidelines and watch you die without a word?!" Perry was desperate now. "Neither of us could take the death of the other. We made Protocol M-2 as an escape from that. If we _both_ die, then neither of us would be without the other."

He had stood up to do his rant and I had sat and listened. I stood up and looked him in the eye. I grabbed his hand, the one with the dagger in it, and said, "What must happen, must happen. Where there is death, death must be... we cannot avoid it."

"You're starting to talk like Epolenep. What does my wife say?"

"This _is_ your wife talking, Perry! But you have cotton in your ears and you're not listening to me!" I quickly grabbed the dagger from his hand and put it away. He stood in front of me with fists clenched, facing the ground. He was angry with me. I could tell that much. I took a deep breath. "I don't care if you don't approve of this... this is what fate has in mind for us. To avoid it would be the same as trying to stop a moving belt in a car with your bare hands. Impossible and painful." I let that sink in and his fists disappeared into open hands. He still glared at me, but I knew he was listening and calming down at least. "Let us make a pact. Right here, right now, on this blade, on this hill."

"What kind of pact?" he asked it with a little scorn in his voice. He was still angry with me. I had to commend him for his efforts. It looked like it was all he could do to keep his anger away from me.

"A blood pact; in that way, it can never be broken, even if we tried." He stepped forward and put out his left hand. He knew what a blood pact was.

Back in Australia in our youth, many people had scars on their left hands, signifying a blood pact. There was no greater pact than a blood pact. If anyone went against it, nature itself would remind them of it. Most of them were for brotherhood, some did it for a confirmation of marriage. We had went against it for marriage since most people in Australia did it when renewing their vows. It was an acknowledgement that the love would always be there, that it would never be broken. It was typically done if it _had_ been broken, but some did it anyway. I sadly recalled to my memory how Perry's parents had renewed their vows with a blood pact out of love, but that my parents had not.

I swallowed my tears from the horrible memory and cut my left hand in a diagonal way in one direction and Perry's in the opposite. In this way, when we touched hands, they would join perfectly. We joined our hands together and I said, "Repeat after me: I promise..."

"I promise..."

"With all my heart and soul..."

"With all my heart and soul..."

"That I will remain true to you..."

"That I will remain true to you..."

"And that I will never take another..."

"And that I will never take another..."

"And I will never undergo Protocol M-2..."

"And I will never undergo Protocol M-2..."

"And should I break this promise..."

"And should I break this promise..."

"Should this blood pact be ignored or forgotten..."

"Should this blood pact be ignored or forgotten..."

"That nature punish me..."

"That nature punish me..."

"However it may..."

"However it may..."

"And that my partner leave me..."

"And that my partner leave me..."

"For all time..."

"For all time..."

"So, spirits help us..."

"So, spirits help us..."

"Keep this blood pact..."

"Keep this blood pact..."

"Until the end of time..."

"Until the end of time..."

"Keep us together..."

"Keep us together..."

"Until the end of time..."

"Until the end of time..."

I smeared the blood from my hand over my heart. Perry did likewise. "There, now the pact can never be broken." I took the dagger into my hands and extended it to Perry. He put his hand to it. "By blood this promise was made and on this ground it was swore. May this spot forever be witness to the words it bore." We both bent down and put the dagger in the ground. We patched up our hands and left the Hill of Crosses, leaving a new one for future generations to see.

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><p><span>Enigma<span>

I stepped out from behind one of the Mary statues there at the Hill of Crosses. I had seen all that had transpired there. I knew my counterpart had seen it as well. I went over to the scale on the ground and dusted it off. I looked at the dagger and I knew my counterpart was feeling strong emotion from seeing the moment. I turned back toward the gate.

It was at that moment that I began to realize how little I understood my counterpart, Phillip. He was such a goody-two-shoes. He was currently on the losing side, yet he insisted being there. It puzzled me beyond any other thought.

"I never would have expected to see you here," said a voice.

"I never expected you to be here either. I thought it would remind you of your counterpart destroying the world." I turned around and Phillip stood near the dagger, as if protecting it.

"Are you saying you feel guilt, then?"

"There is no guilt for the good or the evil, there is only guilt felt when there is a culmination of the two... which reminds me, we need to get back together soon. If we don't, we'll surely die."

"I know what you're planning on doing... and I know why you feel remorse while holding that scale."

"THERE IS NO REMORSE FOR MEN LIKE ME! No remorse."

"Then what do you call what you're feeling right now?"

"I feel nothing!"

"You feel _something_! Admit it! The scale in your hand belongs to someone you show affection for."

"There is no _affection_ for the wicked," I spat.

"Then correct me. If you are not experiencing what I think you are experiencing, then correct me."

I was fuming now. I hated it when I was put on the spot like this. "Since it is near the end of our time, perhaps we are subconsciously becoming one again."

"Oh, come off it, mate." He smiled at me. I knew he was mocking me.

"Very well, I'll admit it. I intend to put us together just long enough for us to become separate again. I need a renewal on life... it will also give me the chance to cut out your tongue." He laughed at me. "What amuses you?"

"You _need_ me, then?"

I growled at him. "I feel no such desire."

"Very well," he took out a dagger from his own suit. "I suppose you wouldn't mind if I used this, then?"

"You wouldn't. You have 'too much to live for.' "

"Really? Try me..." His face bore a look I knew well since it mirrored a look I used often as well. He was set on doing this.

"Then you leave me with no other alternative..." I whistled with my fingers. It cut through the air, much like a coach's whistle, and a ship flew over us. It sent down a claw that nabbed my counterpart. I grabbed the claw and we were both brought up into the ship. My counterpart was tied up and thrown into a kennel. "Well... we shall have to make sure that never happens again now, won't we?" I smiled at him and laughed maniacally. He glared at me and I took his dagger, which had been taken from his hand by one of my henchmen, and looked at it thoughtfully. "This dagger is quite the twin to our sister's, isn't it? It reminds me of a dream I had recently..." I thought about the implications of this and I smiled. "Perhaps we'll just keep this around for future use." I put it in one of the pockets of my uniform and made my way up to the cockpit. It was my ship after all, I needed to be its driver just as much as I needed to see the show that my newly acquired dagger would be a part of. I smiled... it was times like these that instilled a sense of... _enjoyment_ in my work.

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><p><strong>All right! Chapter 19. We've come a long way since the beginning. So, what do you guys think will happen next? Furthermore, what did you guys think of <em>this<em> chapter? I liked the blood pact and the fact that Phillip and the Enigma had a face-to-face talk. It was all very trippy weird, but also really good, I thought. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	21. Chapter 20: Venta Rapid, Latvia

**We have officially reached 20 chapters! Since this one's on Latvia, you guys should check out June 14, 1941 and the events linked to that. You think the Nazis were mean, take a look at the Gulag in Soviet Russia back in the day. I would have brought mention to them in the chapter, but I realized that there were no Gulag in Latvia, just the instance on that date (that I am aware of). Instead, I am doing this chapter on the Venta Rapid, the widest rapid in Europe. Take a look.**

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><p><span>Chapter 20: Venta Rapid, Latvia<span>

Perry

"We're going the wrong way," said Penelope.

"How do you know that? I'm the one with the G.P.S." I said.

"I know that thing lost signal a long time ago and I know why we're going the wrong way."

"Oh? How do you know?"

"Up ahead, that's the Venta Rapid, it's in the west of Latvia. If we keep heading north, we'll hit the Baltic Sea. We need to head east, then north in order to hit Estonia."

"Remind me again why we're walking in Europe in the coldest time of the year."

"If you can find anybody crazy enough to navigate this unnatural weather, then by all means, do."

Just then, a snow-mobile came out of nowhere. It zoomed over our heads and zoomed back around. It came to a stop just in front of us. It was a human rider. "A little cold to be out in this weather without a coat, eh?" asked the rider. _I know that voice_.

"Lyla?" I asked.

The rider took off their helmet, and sure enough, it was Lyla. "That's me. You need some help there, P?"

"We could use a ride to Estonia, if it wouldn't be too much trouble," I said.

"Sure thing, hop on! Who's your friend?" she asked.

"I am his wife, Penelope. It is a pleasure to meet you, I am sure," Penelope interjected, putting out a hand for Lyla to shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lyla Lolliberry from C.O.W.C.A., the Canadian O.W.C.A." Lyla shook Penelope's hand.

"I know what C.O.W.C.A. is... what brings you to Europe?" Penelope asked as we got on the snow-mobile.

"I was sent here by a platypus named Phillip. He was concerned about your welfare, so he sent someone that Agent P worked with in the past, while at the same time was a woman."

"Did Phillip say _why_?"

"Nope, he just said that I needed to be on my way to Europe and that Agent P would probably be in Latvia by the time I got here."

"When did you leave?"

"Yesterday; why?"

"I have an eerie feeling about all of this..."

"Aw, I'm sure it'll be fine. It's nice to see you again after so long, Agent P."

"It's great to see you too, Lyla, it's been a while," I said.

"Well, we better get going. We should get to Estonia before tomorrow at the very least. Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, you know?" said Lyla.

Lyla started the engine and began crossing the frozen rapid. We were about halfway across when we heard another engine nearby, followed by another. There were six snow-mobiles closing in on us fast.

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><p><span>Penelope<span>

I knew then that I had to take action. Perry was in front of me and Lyla was driving. I decided to take matters into my own hands. OMEGA soldiers were not soldiers to be messed with... and these other riders bore the markings of the higher soldiers in OMEGA.

"Excuse me, Perry, but if you're done getting cozy by the Canadian, it's my turn to drive," I said. I flipped my way to the front and within a few moments, I had the engine under my control. I turned it around quickly, while making some turns that would have surely made anyone sensitive to spinning hurl. This confused the riders and one ran into another. "Two down, four to go," I said. I then began making some movements toward the direction of the rapids and hit the gas. The soldiers followed quickly. While making a right turn to slide left, I said, "Well, gentlemen, since you're so quiet, allow me to break the ice!" I slid it until we reached the drop where the rapids were. When the snow-mobile made the drop, it caused a chip in the ice.

Once the chip in the ice was made, I quickly pulled out a grenade from my sniper suit (which I still wore under the Drusselstinian dress. I was, after all, required to wear it at all times.) I pulled out the pin with my teeth and threw it toward the crack. It quickly exploded, taking out two more soldiers. This also, unfortunately, caused a shift in the ice.

I turned the machine in an easterly direction and hit the gas again. The two soldiers made their way into my mirrors and I smiled. "We need to lose these guys! Do you have any other plans?" asked Perry.

"Just watch me!" I shouted over the roar of the engine. Making some fancy turns, I made my way through the trees. I was soon able to get ahead of the soldiers enough to make a turn into an alcove of trees and I cut the engine. The two soldiers zoomed by. "All right, they'll be back soon. They're not stupid, but they _are_ going too fast. Perry, I need you to make a trip-wire for them from this trunk to that tree over there. When I give the signal, fire away."

"Do you really think that will work? Our grappling hooks are not designed to handle that kind of force," said Lyla.

"I have not bothered to send the Canadians any advancements in technology because of how rudely I was treated by your boss. Thus, American tech is better than Canadian tech," I replied. I waited a moment, during which I was filtering my anger. _Why is she here? What is her relationship with Perry? Why would my brother send a woman after us? He knows I hate working with other women when I am on a mission with Perry. Ugh!_

A few minutes of waiting later, and the snow-mobiles began coming back. "Okay, here they come, get ready... now!" Perry shot the grappling gun toward the tree just in time to trip up the two riders. "Yes!" I pumped my fist and got back on the snow-mobile.

"Well, I have to say, that was very impressive," said Lyla.

"You know what else is impressive, wait, listen..." I said.

There was silence a moment before Lyla said: "I don't hear anything."

"_Exactly_." I gave a smug smile and waved for them to get on.

It took a while of navigating, but thanks to Lyla's snow-mobile having a working G.P.S. in the console, we were able to reach Estonia by night-fall. We went into a little cave, which belonged to ALPHA, and I cut the engine again. I took a lighter from my suit, as did Perry, and I said, "We'll stay here for the night, then we'll resume our journey in the morning." I turned my lighter off, but Perry did not.

He pulled me aside and said, "What's going on with you?"

"There's nothing going on with me. What's going on between you and _Lyla_?" I asked.

Perry looked at me, than at Lyla, then back at me. "You're jealous of her?"

"What need is there for me to be jealous? Unless you lied to me about me being your first."

"Nothing happened between us! It was one mission and that was it!"

"Well, it seems like that one mission has left an impression on her mind... and yours."

"Nothing happened, Penelope. Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what?"

"You're getting really snippy with me lately; is there something you'd like to talk to me about?"

"I have nothing to say to you! Even if I did, I would tell you, now wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, I mean, it took you two weeks to finally tell me who your vision was about!"

"Oh, like you didn't know!"

"I _didn't_ know, Penelope! Why do you always assume things?"

"Is _that_ what this is about?"

"I asked you why you were being so snippy with me lately, that's _all_!"

"I have not _begun _to be snippy," I whispered to him harshly. I felt the blood leave my head a moment. I shook it away fiercely.

"Easy, Pen, easy." Perry caught me and tried to lower me to the floor.

"Get off of me! Don't touch me!" I walked away from him to a further point in the cave. "Don't bother coming to my side tonight, I am not pleased with you." I lay down, facing away from him.

"What did _I_ do?!" I heard Perry huff in a frustrated manner. It wasn't long before the light from Perry's lighter went out. I cried in the darkness.

Once I was sure Perry was asleep, I went over to his side. I whispered to him, "I'm so sorry about this, Perry. The only way I can keep you safe is to push you away. It's hard for me to do and it's hard for you to listen to, but it's the only way I can think of. I love you more than I do myself, Perry, this is why I have to make you run. I have to make you run away from me to spare you the pain... and Epolenep's wrath. If I never say anything else as your wife ever again... you must know one thing." I leaned close to him, still crying. "I love you, heart and soul. Body and strength. Every molecule, every atom in my body loves you. There is no detail about you I love over the rest because I love it _all_."

I began listing his details. "I love your eyes. Those cocoa brown eyes of yours make me melt every time I see them. They are my comfort for when I am down and my joy increases when I see them while I am happy. They hold all the strength I would ever need, yet you have more to offer. You are, both by physical and endurance means, stronger than any other man I have ever known. I think it's sexy to see you lift heavy things and I love it when you hold me in your arms, your strong arms. I love your tail. Its intricate, yet simple pattern makes me happy. Every time I see a pattern like it, I can't help but think of you." My pattern was not quite like his, it was marred by the scars life gave me.

"I love your hands, they are strong, yet gentle. I wish I could have your hands in mine always." I didn't dare touch him, he was a very light sleeper and the slightest touch would wake him... just like with me. Except for the fact I was a heavy sleeper.

"You are kind, chivalrous, brave, daring, handsome, and you are my whole life... but I must leave you. I must leave you in order to keep you safe from _her_. I know you will probably come after me, but I've got to try and put some distance between us. It is for your own safety, my love. Perhaps, someday, things will turn out for us... but in case it doesn't, know that I will always love you. I am eternally yours, Perry Bartholomew Flynn, and I'm sorry I have to do this." I gently kissed his cheek and, letting a few more tears fall, I whispered, "Good-bye." I left the cave and began heading further into Estonia. I only hoped someday I would be able to forgive myself... and that Perry would forgive me.

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><p><strong>:'( This is definitely sad. Will things improve? I don't know. We shall see though, won't we? Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks.<strong>


	22. Chapter 21: Psycho in Estonia

**I do not own Skype. All rights go to the appropriate owners. Did you know that Skype was developed in Estonia? I didn't either until I looked it up. Anyway, here is the new chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 21: Psycho in Estonia<span>

Perry

I shook Lyla awake. I was frantic. In the middle of the night, I had a dream of Penelope leaving me. When I woke up, I found it to be true. "Lyla, get up! Penelope's gone!"

"What? Where could she have gone to?" asked Lyla, sitting up.

"I don't know... it might be possible that she went ahead of us into an Estonian city." I heard a buzzing sound and I pulled out my communicating device. "It's about time this thing gets a signal out here." I opened it up and my Skype had a message on it. The message said, _My heart lies forever with you, Love, Penelope_. I couldn't help feeling sad when I saw that message. If her heart truly lied with me, then why was she trying to push me away?

"Is everything okay, P?" asked Lyla.

"Yeah... I'm fine." I put the device away and headed outside. I mounted the snow-mobile and said, "Let's get going, we may still be able to catch up with her."

After a while of riding, we finally reached a city. It was entirely abandoned and the street had enough snow on it that we could keep going with the snow-mobile. It felt really eerie. I knew Penelope had to be close-by though.

Some time ago, I had inserted a tracking device into Penelope's collar. She never took it off, so I always knew where she was. I never had a need to use the device until now. My communicating device, which was linked to the tracker, only just now began working again.

"This building," I said, coming close to one. It turned out to be a giant office building.

When Lyla and I went inside, there was not much difference in temperature between outside and inside. As we got further in, it got a little better, but just barely. I looked around. "This place has only recently been abandoned. The building is still warm in some places," I said.

"You're right, P... hey, look over there!" Lyla pointed to some graffiti on the wall. It was just recently painted, the paint was still wet. It was blood red and it formed the shape of the OMEGA symbol.

"Hey, Perry," said a voice. I turned around, and there was Penelope. She looked tired... and almost ill. "Unfortunate times we have come upon, aren't they?"

"I guess that depends on your perspective, but then again, I had my wife disappear on me a lot lately," I said.

"Well, you can't help kidnapping... and you can't help what has happened to me."

"Pen?" She looked at me wearily with empty eyes. "How much control do you have anymore?"

"Not much, Perry. She has been persistent in telling me what to do." She moaned painfully and gripped her head. She massaged it with her fingers. She continued, "I keep hearing the same thing in my head and it's been driving me insane. Come up here and you'll see why I had to leave you for a while." She waved her hand, indicating to us she wanted us to follow, and led us up some stairs. We went up only three flights of stairs, to the third floor.

Once we got to the third floor, Penelope opened a door and my mouth opened wide. It was absolute devastation. Desks, papers, chairs, and other debris littered the room. There was nothing that was left sitting upright. Lights were out of their sockets (though it didn't really matter since there was no power). What shocked me most of all though was the graffiti on the walls, floor, and across the debris. Over and over in red paint were the phrases: Kill him. Must kill Perry. No. Yes. Kill Me.

"Look here," said Penelope, pointing to the biggest spot of graffiti. In big, bold letters were the words: KILL ME. She looked at it a moment before saying, "I can't take it anymore, Perry. I argued and I fought and I pushed against her, but no matter what I do, all I hear is her voice. It rings in my ear... always.

"I had no idea it was this bad... why didn't you say anything?" I asked.

She shrugged. Without taking her eyes from the graffiti, she said, "Would you have believed me if I said I was fighting against myself to kill you?"

"Considering everything else that has happened between us, it wouldn't have been so unbelievable." I smiled at her, but she just looked at me with a hollow countenance. My smile went back to a frown. "I'm sorry you have to go through all of this, Pen."

She waved it off like it was nothing. "Bah, if not me, then it would have been someone else." She looked hesitant, as if there was a word begging to come out, but she wasn't sure whether or not to release it. "She and I have reached an agreement... it is unanimous what will come to pass."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Lyla.

Penelope smiled slightly and said, "This is beyond anything you are familiar with, Miss Lyla." Shortly after saying that, she gave out a yelp and fell to her knees. I held a hand out to Lyla, telling her to stay away. Penelope was having another vision. It didn't last long though. She got up slowly and said, "That was disorienting."

"What did you see?" I asked her.

"It was thick... and warm... and black. It surrounded me. I saw a two-headed teal creature. It was laughing at me. It had three eyes, one red, one brown, and one pale as if blind. It looked a lot like..." Penelope paused in her explanation.

"What?"

"I couldn't be entirely sure though. The vision was very blurry, which usually means that will be how I will see things at the time." She gave a long pause, during which her eyes darted back and forth in deep thought. "Well, there's only one thing left to do."

"Which is?"

"Go to the only remaining European country: Russia."

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><p><strong>This chapter was kind of short, I think. However, there isn't much to say until later. Next chapter's on Russia, obviously. I hope I relieved some people by bringing Penelope back. There are two chapters left in this story, so stay tuned! Until next time, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	23. Chapter 22: Why the Big Russia?

**Here's Russia. I hope you guys are as excited for this chapter as I was ;)**

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><p><span>Chapter 22: Why the Big Russia?<span>

Penelope

It was still plenty dark out when Perry's G.P.S. said we had crossed the border into Russia. It was far too dark and stormy to see anything. The snow was falling hard and sideways. I thought at some points I even felt some hail in the precipitation.

It took a while, but we were soon able to glimpse something in the distance. There was a giant, dark building on the horizon. As we got closer, it got bigger and bigger.

We were riding the snow-mobile that Lyla had brought, but as we got closer to the building, it began malfunctioning. It began sputtering and making all sorts of groans in protest to the poor conditions it was being subjected to. I was driving, so I decided to put the poor thing out of its misery and cut the engine. "We'll walk the rest of the way. That building isn't far off, so if we got any closer with this thing, they would have heard us anyway. It is better to try to be stealthy than it is to try to be quick in this case," I explained to my passengers.

We all got off and began our walk. It was _indeed_ terrible weather. It was no wonder to me that the snow-mobile had puked under the pressure of the storm.

After a little while, we were in sight of the structure. It was a huge castle, of sorts, surrounded by a wire fence with barbed wire at its bottom and top. There was no climbing it and there was no digging without knowing where to go. I put a hand close to the fence. It was live, I could feel it in my fur as it stood on end. The only way inside was to go through the front gate.

I made hand signals for Lyla and Perry to follow me. We slowly maneuvered our way down the line. My fur was standing on end, and it wasn't just because of the cold. I felt, deep in my primal instincts, that we were going to be caught. I thought for sure that my end was soon.

When we finally reached the front gate, it opened. There was no one coming out and no one going in. _Trap, trap, this is a trap!_ I thought. I panicked a little on the inside. I thought seriously about turning back, but there was a significant reason for me to move forward.

"Penelope, Perry, please help me! I'm trapped here! I was able to get to the communications room to get on the speakers to send you this message. I know you're just outside, please help. I fear the worst for me. Sister, I beseech you," Phillip's voice rang over some speakers nearby.

I shuddered. "Oh, how I wish he hadn't said that," I said.

"Why?" asked Lyla.

"It is by our culture that when someone beseeches someone that they must follow that order, no matter what it may be. I follow that code pretty strictly... as does my brother, Phillip, who you just now heard," I replied. "It is no doubt a trap," I added. I paused a moment, considering my options. "It's the right thing to do."

We went inside the gate, but no sooner had we entered than lights began flashing and we were quickly surrounded. "Good work, mates. Now, bring them to me," The Enigma's voice rang over the speakers. We were overwhelmed, tied up with rope, and marched off inside.

Once inside, I found there were so many things similar with this castle and the place in Germany where the Enigma revealed to me his plans for making a Fourth Reich. I looked around in awe of it all. There was so much there. Art from all over Europe was displayed in the halls. We were led through several halls before we made our way to a giant set of wooden doors. We went through these doors and encountered what looked much like a throne room.

We were made to kneel on the floor. The guards left us there, but not without the warning that if we so much as breathed wrong, we would be shot. Keeping this in mind, we stayed silent. I strained my ears, but all I could hear was my breathing and the breathing of my companions.

"I'm so glad you could make it, dear Penelope," the Enigma's voice came over some speakers again.

"Why won't you show your face?" I asked.

"There's a funny story to that. You see..." His voice gradually became more real as I heard his footsteps enter the room. "Keep your heads down, for it is quite a shock. I ran into a mishap and it has left me not very presentable. However, for your convenience and so that you may remember my face last when you die, I will show myself. I cannot very well expect you to remember the correct visage otherwise." He gave a pause and I noticed that his footsteps sounded a great deal heavier than normal and they were certainly not regular. _What happened to him?_

"Penelope, look at me," said the voice of my brother, Phillip. In a state of bewilderment, shock, and blind obedience, I did... and what I saw horrified me. It was as if the Enigma and Phillip had meshed their bodies together. It was the oddest hybrid I had ever seen... and certainly the most horrifying.

They had the Enigma's feet, yet Phillip's feet were somewhat revealed. One of Phillip's feet was just above the Enigma's right ankle, barely peeking out. His other foot, his left, was closer to the Enigma's left ankle and showed more than his other foot. Phillip's right arm came out where the Enigma's right shoulder once was, leaving the Enigma's right arm beneath that. The Enigma's left arm was hunched up slightly by the force of Phillip's left arm coming out where the Enigma's left armpit once was. Their bills came together and formed one large, grotesquely shaped bill. The Enigma's left eye, the injured one, combined with Phillip's right eye to make a blurry brown color, like creamed coffee. The Enigma's right eye gleamed a bright red and Phillip's left eye was that dark, like tree bark, brown I had found comfort and companionship in so many times in the past. Their tails were meshed together in one big tail. Both tails could be clearly distinguished, but only to the extent that you could tell there had once been two. They connected on their back in a perpendicular intersection.

"Quite a sight we must be... I know _I_ was shocked when we first looked in the mirror. No! No one else can look, only my little Sheila," said the Enigma.

I whimpered, I wanted so badly to make a noise. To scream, to cry, to even shout the word 'why' would have all been welcomed to me. However, I was bid to be silent until given permission. I swallowed my emotion and the Enigma... the creature... had more to say.

"So, here's the thing, Sheila... we need you to give us the formula to fix this. I know I can simply undo this, but it will only put me back in the same desperate state as before, that is, due to expire soon." He gave his short laugh. "Oh, and I wouldn't try to do anything other than what I want if I were you, Sheila. You see, your mate and your friend could paint the floor and I certainly wouldn't want that as much as you. Fix us and we'll leave you alone. The consequences for doing anything otherwise will result in, well, I think you already know _what_." The Enigma gave a deep, dark chuckle. "Stand if you agree." I shakily stood up. I saw no other way out. "Excellent... follow me. As for you two, do feel free to wander about the room freely, but only after we've left." I followed and silently hoped that my end would not come so soon.

He led me down several dark passages before we reached a large room. We walked on a type of gangway, like what you would see above factories... and indeed, this _was_ a factory. I looked down and all I saw from one tank to the next was bubbling oil... and it wasn't the fresh, yellow kind, it was the dead, black kind. I realized that this had been the location of my vision. Considering my placement in the vision and the feeling surrounding me during it, I felt it could only mean one thing: He was going to attempt to drown me in oil.

The Enigma saw me looking at the tanks. "I can see a sense of recognition in your features. This is good. Perhaps we can pursue that avenue later, but right now, come over here." He led me to a platform with two tables: One central, square table with papers on it, and the other a side table that was long and narrow with chemicals in bottles on it.

"Quite the makeshift laboratory you have here, sir," I said politely.

"Yes, I suppose it is fairly good for something with such a small purpose." He paused and directed me to the central table. He pointed out some equations on paper. "I could only remember these things from your blackboards, perhaps you could tell me where I went wrong?"

I looked them over carefully a moment before saying, "These are dummy equations. They are meant to lead people off of the trail. Only _I_ remember the true formula."

"Then perhaps you would be so kind as to write them down? I am not fond of the way this feels," said Phillip.

I perused the papers and made the proper adjustments. "There, that should do it. This will put you back together the proper way," I said.

"What if, in theory, it doesn't work? Is there a way to undo it?" asked Phillip.

"Well, there is a way to separate you two again after this. It's all in a simple reversal... here." I had paused to find the place on the paper. I made the proper notes to show the reversal process.

"Good. Let's put this together quickly," said the Enigma.

After some time, the formula was together and the proper equipment was put up. There was even a way for him to do it without my assistance. The Enigma rubbed his hands together, which looked very weird, and turned to me. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting it to turn out so well. I thank you, dear Sheila, for your assistance." He reached over and knocked me behind the head. I was soon out.

When I came to, I had a chain around my left ankle and an anvil was tied to the end of the long chain. I looked around me and noticed, to my horror, that I was inside one of the tanks for oil. The Enigma stood above me.

"I'm sorry, Penelope, but I didn't have the control to stop him," said Phillip.

"I know how that feels. Enigma, what do you think this will gain you?" I asked.

"Oh, I think it will gain me a fairly good show. After all, we both know how this story is going to end," the Enigma chuckled darkly.

I turned my head down. He was right... or was he? Gates on both my right and my left opened and black oil flowed in. It was slow enough to not be fresh, but quick enough to begin filling up the tank fast. "Sorry, Enigma, but I make my own fate," I said over the roar of the incoming liquid.

"Suit yourself... if you need us, we'll be extending our life to something a little longer than the new year. G'day to you," said the Enigma, making an inch low bow and leaving me.

I decided then to take action. I had only one chance of escape. The chain was too strong to break, so, with the chain, I dragged the anvil over to the side of the tank, the same side the Enigma had just been standing over. I unraveled the chain to as long as it could go. I stood on top of the anvil and waited. I had no other resort than this. I could only hope the chain was long enough... otherwise, I would be a drowned platypus.

As the oil filled the tank, I felt how warm it was. At first, it was a shock to the skin beneath my fur, but it eventually got warm enough that it was almost like a hot tub in heat. If my life had not been on the line, I might have taken a moment to relax and enjoy the first sense of warmth I had experienced in days.

The oil rose and I rose with it. Higher and higher I went and it was beginning to look like my plan was going to work. I could just climb out. Of course, with the Enigma involved, it is never that easy.

As I reached closer to the rim and was almost high enough to reach it with my hands, the chain stopped. My eyes widened in alarm as the oil kept filling the tank. It had to stop filling at some point, right? Of course by then, I would have drowned. As the oil came up to my chest and was threatening to go over my shoulders, I closed my eyes and swam down a short distance. I swam back up, as fast as I could, and broke to the surface. I reached my hands up high and was able to grasp the rim of the tank. I opened my eyes carefully, for fear of allowing oil in, and looked up. The Enigma stood over me, with Phillip still on his shoulder.

"You'll forgive me, but I don't think he would have willingly watched this otherwise. That leaves you with one vision left to come true now, doesn't it?" asked the Enigma.

"Yes... I suppose it would," I replied dejectedly.

"Good... now that you realize that, get back in the tank," he said as he stepped on my hands. The oil made them slippery, so I slipped back in almost right away. I struggled and fought and was able to get back up to the surface. This time though, I had come up too quickly and too forcefully and I had pulled my leg out of its socket. I yelped in pain and I opened my eyes painfully to just catch a glimpse of the same thing I had seen only a few hours earlier: the Enigma and Phillip, in one form watching me. I watched as he pushed a button and a glass tube appeared... much like the one that "Derek" had stepped into and Phillip came out of. He flipped a switch on the inside and the process began.

I could only watch with blurry eyes as the machine did its work. It re-joined them into one body, but to my horror, it made them into two separate entities again. The Enigma forcefully pushed Phillip out. He grabbed Phillip's wrists and pinned them behind his back. They both walked away and the oil surrounding me, along with the great amount of energy I had spent in trying to escape, taxed me. I began slipping back in when I felt two hands grab my wrists and pull. I was soon released from the chain and carried away. I was conscious just long enough to make out that it was Perry before I blacked out.

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><p><span>Perry<span>

Lyla and I were able to use some of our spy tools to cut the ropes. When we noticed we weren't being guarded, we decided, or rather _I_ decided, that we should just pick a door and leave. If they weren't going to bother to watch us, then I wasn't going to bother to let them keep us here.

I went down the same hallway that the Enigma had taken Penelope down. Lyla followed me as we reached a gangway over some boiling oil in large vats. I noticed Penelope struggling on the edge of one of those. I ran over and grabbed her wrists just as she was going to slip in. I pulled hard, trying to get her free when I suddenly realized she must be tied to something. Lyla noticed this and got to work reaching in and cutting Penelope free from a chain that was on her ankle.

When I pulled her out, she looked dazed and tired. Her leg looked pretty bad, so I carried her as we ran out. She didn't stay conscious long and we didn't stay in that nightmare house long. We ran out as alarms blared and shots fired.

As we ran out, Phillip joined us. "Hey, need some help, bro?" he asked me.

"We sure could use an escape route," I replied.

"Already on the way," he replied, taking out a remote and pushing some buttons.

When we got outside, we were just in time to meet a ship that was much like the one that had originally brought Penelope and I into Europe. Phillip wasted no time in making sure we all got in the ship and got out quickly. The door closed and the ship zoomed away. I placed Penelope on a cot nearby and held her hand. "Hang on, Penelope, hang on," I told her. I looked outside a window nearby and saw the dawn just peaking over the horizon. I smiled. _We're going to be home in time for Christmas._

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><p><strong>All right! There's one more chapter after this, and it's very important so don't skip it! I am super excited for it too. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)<strong>


	24. Epilogue

**This chapter is going back to omniscient point of view. I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises the characters might reveal. Also, keep in mind that though this is an Epilogue, it is still an important chapter, just like how the Epilogue was in the last book. So, without further ado, here it is...**

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><p><span>Epilogue<span>

Penelope, Perry, and Phillip were able to make it home in time for Christmas Eve's afternoon in Danville. Everything was very peaceful in the Tri-State Area. The snow fell softly, like in a snow-globe, and everyone was counting down the hours until it was finally Christmas.

When Christmas morning came, it found Penelope and Rosalynn curled together on Ferb's bed and Perry and Max on Phineas's bed. They each wanted to be with one of their owners. The light of the morning shone upon them all and Max and Rosalynn did not waste time in informing their parents and their uncles, Phineas and Ferb, that Christmas morning, the long-awaited day, was finally upon them.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! Wake up!" Max shouted. He got on his dad's back and jumped up and down, trying to rouse his father. Perry groaned and flipped over, causing young Max to fall back onto the bed.

Penelope opened one of her eyes and yawned deeply. She looked at a clock on the side-table between Phineas and Ferb's beds and said, "It's five o'clock in the morning, what's the big rush?"

"Mom, you said yourself that any person wanting to get the most out of their day should wake with the sun," said Rosalynn.

"So I did, didn't I?" asked Penelope. She yawned again and stretched. She made her way over to the other bed and noticed Perry had fallen asleep again, his feet twitching in the air. "Well, come on, lazy bones, let's get up and get going." Penelope, on all-fours, used her bill to flip Perry over onto the floor.

Perry woke with a shock and said, "Okay, okay, I'm up!"

Rosalynn and Max giggled and went over to their uncles and shook them awake. "Uncle Phineas! Uncle Ferb! Wake up, it's Christmas day!" they both said insistently.

Ferb's eyes popped open and Phineas slowly opened his eyes. Ferb was already by Phineas's bedside when Phineas got in a sitting position and yawned deeply. "Why do they call us uncles?" asked Phineas.

"I suppose they figure that you're their uncles since you always call Perry your brother," replied Penelope.

"I almost wish they didn't have translators... ever since we gave them those things before leaving America for Europe, they've been non-stop chatter-boxes," said Phineas, getting up.

"Well, I think the kids have the right attitude. It's Christmas day and here we are still in our sleeping chamber," said Penelope, getting up on two feet. She noticed the kids over by the door and smiled knowingly. "Kids will be kids; come on, Perry, we don't want them having all the fun now, do we?"

Perry yawned one more time before getting up on two feet and following Penelope and the kids to the door. As soon as Penelope opened it, Rosalynn and Max ran down the stairs as if Christmas was going to disappear if they didn't catch it. Penelope smiled and Perry said, "Well, so long as we're getting up, we should wake up the rest of the family. More likely than not, the kids will be on pins and needles until we all get down there." As he said this, he went over to Candace's room, got on all-fours, and before assuming his stupid look, he gave Penelope a sly wink. Phineas and Ferb went over to their parent's room to wake them up and Penelope waited in the hallway.

It wasn't long before this rang out through the house: "EW! PERRY! I THOUGHT WE WERE BEYOND THIS!" Candace ran out of her room and went into the bathroom. She had her face covered the whole way, as if it was covered in poison.

Perry came out on two feet and went over to Penelope. "What did you do _this_ time, Perry Flynn?" asked Penelope.

"What? I was just following instincts. She wasn't awake, so I aroused her by licking her face," replied Perry with a mischievous smirk.

"Next time, why don't you wake her up normally... and save facial grooming for your wife," said Penelope, giving Perry an equally mischievous smirk.

"Aw, you know it's all in love, baby," said Perry, putting an arm around his wife's waist. Penelope giggled girlishly and Candace came out from the bathroom.

She glared at Perry as she said, "Since it's Christmas, I'll let that one slide, but next time, you are _so_ getting tossed off the bed."

"Understood," said Perry, though he was still smiling. Soon after Perry had said that, Phineas and Ferb came out with Linda and Lawrence and the whole family proceeded downstairs.

When they got there, they noticed Rosalynn and Max sitting in front of the tree. They were gazing at it as if transfixed. Penelope and Perry smiled. "They did the same thing when we first set up the tree," said Phineas.

"Ah, the wonder of a child is a glorious thing," said Penelope. She then reached into Perry's pocket, took out his fedora, and took out the camera. She took a picture of the adorable scene.

"Mom!" said Rosalynn in dismay. She did not like getting her picture taken.

"You know, Rosalynn, I remember a time when you _liked_ getting your picture taken," said Penelope, putting the camera and fedora away to their original places of hiding.

"Yeah, back when I was too young to know better," replied Rosalynn.

"I suppose that depends upon perspective... but enough about that. Come on, don't we have some presents to open?" asked Penelope.

The family sat around the tree and opened the presents underneath the tree. It didn't even take an hour before everything was unwrapped. Of course, there was still one more present under the tree.

"Hey, what's this?" asked Rosalynn. She took out a rectangular-shaped present. "It's for you, Mom." She handed it to her mother and Penelope looked at it in dismay. She felt an eerie feeling that this wasn't a good present.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" asked Phineas.

"No, thank you, I think this is something that can wait for later. Rosalynn, Max, why don't you two go play with your uncles Phineas and Ferb?" asked Penelope.

"And Phillip!" came a voice. Penelope turned around and saw Phillip standing in the living room. Rosalynn and Max rushed to their blood uncle and gave him a hug.

"Phillip, how did you get in here?" asked Penelope.

"Secret entrance, how else?" he asked. He smiled and pulled out two candy canes from the long jacket he was wearing. He gave these to Rosalynn and Max, who immediately began sucking on them in delight. They mumbled "thank you" past their candy and went back over near the tree to look at their other gifts. "Don't think I forgot my sister, either," he said. He pulled out a long box from his coat and said, "Merry Christmas, sis."

Penelope put aside the present she had been holding and took her brother's present. She opened it and inside was a white dress with a red waist ribbon and red flecks on the skirt. It was a summer dress, and it also happened to be one of the dresses Penelope had designed but never made. "Thank you, brother, it's beautiful," said Penelope, touching it carefully with her fingers.

"Won't you try it on?" asked Phillip.

"All right, one moment, please," said Penelope. She left the room to change and when she came back, Phillip and Perry gaped. "Well, how do I look?"

"You look beautiful," replied Perry.

"You certainly do. You are one top-notch designer, sis. It's a wonder you aren't in the business," said Phillip.

"Aren't you going to open my present next, sister?" asked a voice. Penelope turned around and noticed it was the Enigma. Rosalynn and Max went behind Perry to hide, Phillip growled, and the Flynn-Fletchers huddled close together. "Well, aren't you?"

"Let me guess, secret entrance?"

"Well, it certainly isn't unexpected of me if my counterpart did it... now, if you will..." He pulled out his 009 and cocked it. "Open the present."

Penelope shakily went over to the one present that was left un-opened. She took it in her hands and pulled at the ribbon. She opened the present as slowly as she could. She didn't want what she knew was going to happen. _Not now, not today, no_. Penelope shook and tears began falling from her eyes.

"Open the bloody thing!" shouted the Enigma impatiently.

Penelope finally pulled off the top part of the box and there, lying in a bed of white cotton, was a dagger. Penelope knew it was Phillip's dagger since it had more gold on the blade than hers did. Both of their blades were two-tone metals: Penelope's primarily silver, and Phillip's primarily gold. She took up the dagger in her hands and looked at it as it gleamed in the light of the morning coming through the window behind her. "I won't do it," said Penelope quietly.

"You will... _Epolenep_," said the Enigma.

The name flipped a switch within Penelope and her evil side was awakened. Epolenep tackled Perry and, dagger in hand, tried to force it into him. Perry fought to keep Epolenep back, but they were both quite strong.

"Penelope, I know you're in there, fight her," said Perry desperately. The dagger's blade was only inches away from puncturing his left side... the side his heart was in.

"She's done fighting me. We came to an agreement long ago on what we wanted to happen. However, I enjoy this little show. What's the matter, Maxwell? Can't you fight back? Fight me. Fight me!" said Epolenep.

"Epolenep, please, don't do this," said Penelope, momentarily breaking through.

"This is better than a movie," said the Enigma, sitting down and watching the whole ordeal with a glint of pleasure in his eye.

"Well, now comes the time of choice, Penelope. Who dies today? Hmm? Who dies today? _Where there is death, death must be, you cannot avoid it_," Epolenep said the last part in sing-song.

"Shut up," said Penelope, the hand with the dagger in it quivering ever closer to Perry's chest.

"Penelope..." Perry looked at his wife desperately. They both knew what had to happen, but neither were willing to accept it.

"Perry..." Penelope's voice was shaking as much as her hand. Her eyes were on the verge of tears.

"He... must... die," said Epolenep, struggling to re-gain control.

"No... Perry?" Penelope looked at her husband with emotional, violet eyes. Perry looked back. "Everything's going to be all right, it's going to be okay."

"You keep telling yourself that, princess," said Epolenep, grunting to get the hand with the dagger to move closer.

"Perry... I love you... with all my heart and soul... and I am forever yours," said Penelope. She was no longer holding back tears.

"What? What are you doing?! You'll kill us both!" said Epolenep, noticing the hand with the dagger was venturing closer to the left side of Penelope's body.

"Good-bye, Perry." Penelope said her final words before stabbing herself with the dagger and falling to the right of Perry's body.

"NO!" Perry got up and took his wife in his arms. Penelope gave one last loving look at her husband before breathing her last. "No... Penelope... please... don't leave me." Perry immediately began sobbing into his wife's fur.

The Enigma chuckled darkly, amused by this show. "Oh, _that_ is rich," he said, laughing all the more. "Who's going to save her now, mate?" He laughed some more.

Perry's body shook with rage. He gently put down Penelope's body, curled his hands into fists, and, turning toward the Enigma, said, "How could you?! If it wasn't for you, my wife would still be alive!"

"That's dependent upon perspective now, isn't it?" asked the Enigma, chuckling some more to himself. Perry launched himself at the Enigma before the evil platypus could draw his gun to shoot. Perry took the gun from the Enigma's hand, threw it across the room, and began beating the Enigma mercilessly. The Enigma was surprised by this and was quickly losing the battle. In a fight with an angered platypus against a non-angered platypus, the fight clearly goes to the angered platypus within minutes. The Enigma knew this and blew his fingers to make his signature whistle.

When the Enigma gave his whistle, a loud roar was heard. Perry stopped mid-pummeling and picked up his head. The Enigma took this chance to kick Perry off and run over to pick up his gun. He wiped his bill free of blood and holstered his gun. He picked up Penelope, bridal style, and said, "Well, mate, this has been quite the show. Unfortunately, my ride's here, and I shan't keep it waiting," he laughed again, more so than before, as he exited the house through the sliding glass door.

Perry rushed outside after the Enigma. He was just in time to glimpse something large with silver scales pick up the Enigma and Penelope in its claws. The thing swirled around in the sky and flew off. "Is that... was that..." Perry was at a loss for words.

After recovering from the shock of what had just transpired, he went inside. His family looked at him with both expectation and a new-found fear. No one had ever seen Perry as angry as he was with the Enigma. Perry went over to his kids and picked them up in his arms.

"Perry? What are you doing?" asked Phineas timidly.

"I am fulfilling my wife's last wishes," he replied simply.

Before Christmas was over, Perry had successfully wiped the memories of his children. He also put them in the care of his owners while he did one last thing. In his lair, he activated the tracking device on Penelope's collar. It was loading slowly and Perry nearly smashed it from his impatience. When it finally loaded, it showed that Penelope was in Russia again.

Phillip came into Perry's lair and said, "Did you ever wonder why you and my sister were the only ones concerned with helping Europe?"

"What do _you_ want?" Perry growled.

"I'm not the bad guy, here, bro, I'm trying to help you," he replied.

"Don't call me _brother_ ever again. You are _not_ my brother, nor do you resemble anything of the kind. The Enigma is half of you after all," Perry said spitefully.

"Perry, please, listen to me for a minute."

"All right, you have _one minute_ to tell me what you need to tell me. 59... 58..." he continued his countdown as Phillip spoke.

"Perry, the computer systems of all the world were hacked. There was no way anyone but those with higher technology who had the slightest clue as to where the Enigma was. I believe the Enigma is also drawing from the deep, black magic of our people's rebels."

"There's no such thing as magic."

"Penelope knew there was though."

"DON"T SAY HER NAME! DON"T EVER SAY HER NAME IN MY PRESENCE EVER AGAIN!" Perry got up from his chair and had killer's eyes toward Phillip.

"I"M NOT FINISHED! GET OVER YOURSELF FOR A SECOND AND _LISTEN_ TO ME!" Perry relaxed, but only slightly. Phillip took a deep breath and continued. "She knew of the magic of our people, both good and evil. It is never good to practice magic since it shortens your life-span and shows you how horrible the earth can be. However, she did practice enough magic to teach me some things. For example, I know something that you don't."

"Don't taunt me, Phillip, I am not in a gaming mood."

"I realize this, which is why I shall make this quick. It's true that you can only track her location from her collar and nothing else, right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"I can do more. Follow me." Phillip led Perry to the surface and outdoors. The Flynn-Fletcher family, along with innocent Rosalynn and Max, were gathered in a circle around a giant, black pot. Phillip went to the center of the circle with Perry. "As the chief's son, you have more right to this than anyone else here."

"What do you expect this to do? How is this going to help at all?" asked Perry.

"I have good reason to believe that my sister may still be alive." Perry snorted in disbelief. "Perry, just give me a few minutes of your time. The _rest_ of your family agreed to this."

Perry grumbled under his breath and joined the circle of hands in-between his two kids. "Do what you have to do, but if this doesn't work, I'm giving you a black eye just for being born."

"Understood." Phillip stood on a step-ladder that allowed him to look into the pot. He spoke in his foreign language a little, then sang in his foreign language. Perry shivered. Strange things were coming about. "Spirits forgive me for that which I am about to do," said Phillip. He threw some incense into the fire and a great cloud rose from it. Eerie music began playing as if from nowhere.

From the cloud came a voice of a woman singing. It sang, "_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. And I know it's true, that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you, I know what you'll do, you'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_." Some harmonizing went on and a figure appeared in the cloud. It was Penelope. As she harmonized, she went near Perry. She continued singing, "_But if I know you, I know what you'll do, you'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_." Perry gaped in shock. It looked like a ghost version of Penelope. "_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam, and I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you, I know what you'll do, you'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream_." The figure finished singing and looked at Perry remorsefully. She said, "I sent this message to the spirits, hoping that they would send it. I am not a ghost, Perry. I am very much alive. I'm in Russia and I need you to come and get me. Please, Perry. I'm cold and scared... and there's no one else I need but you." The figure vanished with the smoke and Perry stood there transfixed.

When Perry was able to shake himself out of it, he wiped the memories of his children, _again_. Then, he went back outside and blew one of the whistles from inside his fedora. A white horse came to him and he mounted it. He had on a thick coat over a snow suit to keep himself warm. He had to get to Russia as quickly as possible. He patted the horse's neck and said, "She's alive." He then knocked his heels to the horse's sides and rode off into the cold night.

To be continued...

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><p><strong>Intense! Anyway, I was going to leave you guys hanging worse than that, but I can't bring it in me to kill people in my writing, especially not Penelope. So, stay tuned for the next book and we'll find out what happens. I do not own "Once upon a Dream." That is primarily a Disney thing, even though the song I used in this chapter was done by Lana Del Rey. All rights go to the proper owners.<strong>

**I would like to say thanks to all the reviewers who stuck with me so good through this one and the last one. My credits go to AJ ThaPlatypus, ficklepickle7, JustAnotherLoneWolf, and Esperanza Hyde the Vamp Queen for this honor. Also a guest reviewer worth mentioning that stuck around for both is someone who goes by just Niko. I can tell he/she is super enthusiastic with this whole thing, which is crazy and I appreciate it highly.**

**I also have to say thanks to some new people that I didn't see reviewing in the last one. They are: PrometheanKnight13 and rooster098. There's also a guest that goes by Guest more than once, so yeah, thanks to you too.**

**I would also like to give thanks to Phineas and Ferb co-creators Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh. You guys made an awesome series and if you read this, don't hate me. I am merely writing my own spin for fun and I am not meaning to make any jabs to be mean. I'm not a mean person.**

**I would also like to thank anyone else who has read this and not reviewed. Also, before I forget, there's someone that needs thanking who is more important than anyone else: you. :D Thanks for reading and I hope you guys will stick around for the sequel. Until next time, please review and check out my forum on the series. The forum is called: The Agents Series. You can comment on your favorite characters, talk about current stories, and give me ideas for future stories. Thanks again :D**


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